I Rock Cleveland

"If I Get Myself Anywhere" by Buffalo Killers

2008-07-24T14:12:00.003-04:00

Do my ears deceive me, or is this some long lost T. Rex track? Has Rolan Bolan been holding back on a treasure trove of sweet boogie oogie laid down by his late father, the great Marc Bolan, before his death? If it's not T Rex, then it has to be an old dusty groove done by Joe Walsh, or Grand Funk Railroad, right? Wrong, wrong, and wrong. If the id3 tag is to be believed, "If I Get Myself Anywhere," comes from the second album by Cincinnati long-haired, retro-rockers, Buffalo Killers.

While everything about this cut, from the laid back Southern charm of the main guitar riff, and the sly, shuffling drum beat, to the velvety vocals, say all-request classic rock request hour, it's a product of the modern age. With the help of the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, who helmed the producer's chair, and who knows a thing or two about creating a retro-fantastic vibe, Buffalo Killers managed to avoid the riff by numbers trap which has been the downfall of many a retro rocker, and instead created something authentic. Well, maybe not quite authentic, after all we're some thirty years beyond AOR. Still, at the very least, "If I Don't Get Myself Anywhere" is one of the best damn approximations of the Seventies AOR sound around, and that's no small feat when you're treading on such well worn ground.

MP3: Buffalo Killers - If I Get Myself Anywhere

Bonus Cut
YOUTUBE: Buffalo Killers - Get Together Now Today

Let it Ride by Buffalo Killers is out now on Alive Records

Buffalo Killers
Buffalo Killers Myspace

Alive Records

photo by John Curley

So Nice I Listen to it Twice: "My Only Offer" by Mates of State

2008-07-24T10:44:00.002-04:00

If I could explain it I would. In between jamming the new F*cked Up EP on Matador (which kills BTW), I've been spinning a lot of Mates of State. These two acts don't exactly have a lot in common. F*cked up are the best think to happen to punk rock since the invention of "1, 2, 3, 4" and Mates of State are an adorable indie pop couple.

I'd love to tell you more about Mates of State's latest disc, Re-Arrange Us, but I can't seem to get past "My Only Offer." Every time it comes around, I have to repeat it, twice, or three times. Of course, Kori Gardnes and Josh Hammel did this on their last album, too. On Bring it Back, I couldn't make it past "For the Actor." There's something about Hammel's simple drumming, Gardens' repetitive keyboard melody, and those genuinely upbeat harmonies, that I can't quite define. Something instinctive that tells me to hit repeat.

MP3: Mates of State - My Only Offer
YOUTUBE: Mates of State - My Only Offer

Re-Arrange by Mates of State is out now on Barsuk Records, and the band will be in Cleveland for a show on Sunday, August 3rd at The Grog Shop.

Mates of State
Barsuk

photo by Crackerfarm

From The IRCWHQ Newsdesk: The Black Keys Will Be On Live from Abbey Road Tonight

2008-07-24T08:35:00.005-04:00

You can catch a live performance of the Akron blues rock duo, The Black Keys, 10:00 PM tonight on the Sundance Channel series, Live from Abbey Road. There will be a short interview segment and a three song set. Also appearing on tonight's episode are The Hoosiers and Manu Chao.

And on Tuesday, I Rested. And on Wednesday, I'll Rest Again: Final Thoughts on the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival and Even More Photos

2008-07-22T17:51:00.001-04:00

The 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival was a lot of work, a lot of fun, a lot of rad bands (including, but definitely not limited to Dinosaur, Jr, Extra Golden, Mission of Burma, Times New Viking, No Age, Spiritualized, Jay Reatard, King Khan and the Shrines, and Boris) and a lot of work. Each night after the festival closed, I biked back to the hotel with my laptop on my back, rested for a few minutes, then went over notes and photos from the day's performances. Each morning started at 7 AM with two large coffees, as my fleet fingers typed away, recapping the previous day's events. After another few minutes of rest, and a quick shower, it was back on the bike for the short ride to Union Park for the next day's events. This was repeated, all weekend long. It may not have been much of a vacation, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

As I'm typing this, my photographer, Jeff Sierputowski, is still working, going through the one thousand and something photos he shot throughout the weekend and uploading all the keepers to Flickr. In addition to all the performances I've previously covered, he's also got some incredible shots of Caribou, !!!, The Hold Steady, Health, and Spoon. Below, you'll find links to all the photo sets from the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival.

Friday:

Mission of Burma
Sebadoh
Public Enemy

Saturday:

Jay Reatard
Caribou
F*ck Buttons
!!!
Vampire Weekend
Extra Golden
No Age
The Hold Steady

Sunday:

Times New Viking
Boris
Health
King Khan and The Shrines
Les Savy Fav
Spiritualized
Dinosaur, Jr
Spoon

At this point I'd like to thank my intrepid photographer, Jeff Sierputowski, for all the amazing photo work he produced. You'll definitely be seeing more collaborations between the two of us in the future. Next, I'd like to thank Chicago's Urb Garden, for being the sole vendor offering freshly brewed coffee on the grounds of Union Park. I couldn't have made it through the weekend with you guys. Finally, I'd like to thank Pitchfork and the festival staff for running a wonderful festival, and for giving a couple part time creative types/full time working stiffs, the experience of being real, honest to goodness, music journos for one long weekend. And with that, I leave you with more pictures of my favorite part of Pitchfork 2008: The Shredding!

Jay Reatard

No Age

Health

Dinosaur, Jr

Boris

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pichfork Music Festival Day 3: Dinosaur, Jr

2008-07-21T11:24:00.004-04:00

...And the award for band of the day on day 3 of the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival goes to...Dinosaur Jr. From the first shriek of J Mascis' mighty six string on "Been There All the Time," they had the thirty somethings in the audience, like myself, headbanging HARD, as the younger generation spaz danced in a vain attempt to keep up with Mascis' flying fingers.

Standing in front of a stack of six Marshall amps, Mascis' best solos sounded like a finely tuned, American muscle car, careening around corners and accelerating over hills, as his long gray hair swirled around his face. At other times, his guitar sound was more akin to a NASA lift off at Cape Canaveral. Either way, the sound was HUGE, and when Mascis, Barlow, and Murph cranked out old standards like "Out There" and "Feel the Pain," it was like a dream come true for someone who came of age during the alterna-rock boom of the early Nineties. After the band went deeper in the catalog for "The Wagon" and set closer, "Freak Scene," the rowdies in attendance were screaming for more. An encore at a festival? For a band who isn't the headliner? It seemed like an impossible request, but after a short break, Dinosaur, Jr returned to the stage and the flow of humanity reversed from stage A, back to stage C. Mascis asked the crowd what they wanted to hear, "Just Like Heaven?" Yes, it was just like heaven, but only it wasn't. Instead, the band treated their fans to the heavy, metallic riffs of "Sludge Feast." And that was the second time this weekend I stopped being a member of the press and reverted back to a longhaired, music fan. I couldn't help but shred along and throw a double rock fist in the air. Sorry Spoon, but your headlining set now belonged to Dinosaur, Jr.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 3: Spiritualized

2008-07-21T10:56:00.003-04:00

Did I mention how hot it was on Sunday? It was really f'n hot. The combination of the heat, M Ward singing lullabies on the C Stage, and then, Spiritualized taking their time to start their set on the A Stage, made me this blogger awfully sleepy. Not even an all-natural Cliff Bar, could keep me on my feet. Then, I heard it. A faint buzz coming from the stage. The buzz slowly grew louder and louder, until Jason Pierce and Spiritualized finally arrived on stage and unleashed a fury of swirling, spaced out guitars. The force of "You Lie, You Cheat," was strong enough to rumble guts 20 rows back.

Although Spiritualized latest release, Songs in A & E, is one of the softer discs in their catalog, that didn't stop J Spaceman and company from laying down big waves of sound. Watching him on stage, one got the feeling that he couldn't wait to step on the effects pedal, transforming songs like "Sitting on Fire" from quiet, introspective numbers to rumbling, introspective numbers. Watching the faces in the crowd, you could tell they were in awe. Sure, they could have been in a drugged out bliss, but I don't think it was that. The air didn't smell like the air during Public Enemy. These people were transfixed on every move Spaceman made.

Still, after a while, the new material wasn't enough. I'm sure many in the crowd shared the same sentiment as the dude who took advantage of the quiet time between songs to scream, "Play some old stuff!" Patience, my man, we're getting there.

Now, when Spiritualized, did get to the old stuff, like "Come Together," from their landmark album, Ladies and Gentleman We're Floating in Space, that's when the festival crowd really got going. Once the band hit their sweet spot, that one squarely between classic acid rock, and modern British psychedelic rock, the crowd raised their arms in the air, old dudes swayed with their eyes closed, taking in the overwhelming sound of guitar, and young ladies danced in tight spaces wherever they could find room in the firmly packed audience, making it one of the most transcendent moments of the entire weekend.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 3: King Khan and The Shrines Vs Les Savy Fav

2008-07-21T10:06:00.005-04:00

King Khan is a showman whose stage act would be unrivaled on most days. Today, he happened to be up against Tim Harrington and Les Savy Fav. Remember that story about the church, and god, and the devil's music? Well, by mid-afternoon, the B stage was running half an hour late and that meant the two premier frontmen of Pitchfork 2008 were going head to head for the attention of the Pitchfork crowd. On one stage you had a man who is the Indian James Brown and Elvis rolled into one larger than life persona, King Khan, the leader of the soul punk ensemble, King Khan and the Shrines. While on the other stage was Les Savy Fav and Harrington, a man whose antics had entertained many festival goers throughout the weekend. Saturday, he was spotted giving two dollar haircuts. Sunday, he was giving $10 massages. Then, later in the afternoon, he was seated on a blanket near the food vendors, trying to sell empty cd cases and slightly damaged Cliff Bars in order to make a couple bucks.

While state side performances by King Khan have been rare throughout the years, it was only a matter of minutes, no seconds, before he had the crowd squarely on his side. When Khan implored the crowd to toss their trash at the stage before his second number, the sky opened up and poured recyclables. During "Welfare Bread," he asked the crowd to wave their money in the air, and wouldn't you know it, there were George Washington's as far as the eye could see. Hell, Khan, could have instructed the crowd to take of their pants and wave their trousers in the air, and I'm sure they would have obliged. And oh yes, there was music. Soul, gospel, garage, and rhythm and blues, accompanied by a horn section and complete with a go-go girl. He had the crowd gettin' down, freakin' out, and sweatin' up a storm.

And about Harrington and Les Savy Fav? After King Khan finished his dirty story about making sweet love to a nubile, dark-skinned woman, a story where he climbed all inside her you know what, but was gentleman enough to take off his shoes, and the band funked out for one last time, I made my way back to Stage C, and I'm pretty sure Harrington was buck f*cking naked.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 3: Boris

2008-07-21T08:59:00.007-04:00

Having just seen Boris a few days earlier in Cleveland I came in to their Pitchfork performance with drastically lowered expectations. Come on, they can't possibly blow one man's mind twice in one week. Can they? After all, their early afternoon start time on Stage C all but guaranteed that there would be no 40 minute drone-a-thons, no walls of feedback and no gong attacks. Ahh, but what they still had to offer could still blow your mind -- one gigantic guitar riff after another after another for the duration of their set, blazing through "Buzz-In," "Laser Beam," and "Statement" from their 2008 release, Smile.

Honestly, I have no clue what any of these songs mean. They're all sung in Japanese and they all sound like "Domo arigato" to me. Maybe this was the band the church was worried about. Maybe, all of Boris' songs are about sacrificing virgins, drinking goats blood, and worshipping the dark underlord. Or, the way they howl on stage, they could be about something a little more innocent, like trains, but the biggest, most bad a** train, a five year old boy's brain can imagine. Trains, virgins, goats blood, walks in the park, holding your girlfriends hand and stopping to smell the flowers, who knows what any of these songs mean. What I do know is that on Sunday afternoon, Boris were all about blowing minds and rocking the f*ck out, and for that, no translator was needed.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 3: Times New VIking

2008-07-21T08:50:00.002-04:00

With the schedule of the B Stage pushed back half an hour, something to do with a church, god, and Rock 'N' Roll being the music of the devil, and tempting pious minds, or something like that, Ohio's own Times New Viking kicked off day three of the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival. This was a band who seemed to really relish the opportunity given to them by the people of Pitchfork. Drummer Adam Elliott introduced each song as a pop song, or a pop song not about drugs ("My Head"), or another song about Ohio ("Devo and Wine"), and the band would follow his gracious lead and kick out another two minute piece of fractured pop goodness like "Teenage Lust!" and "Natural Resources."

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 2: No Age

2008-07-20T12:12:00.002-04:00

The most intense and the most punk rockingest set of day two of the Pitchfork Music Festival, belonged to the LA noise rock duo, No Age. Although I've often seen No Age compared to My Bloody Valentine, albeit with a pop punk edge, it's a comparison that never made much sense to me. Until yesterday. Hearing No Age live was like camping out at Hopkins Airport next to the arrivals and departures, and blasting your stereo at full volume, barely being able to make out a melody. From his first note, guitarist Randy Randall was head banging so hard, I feared his neck would snap right off. And that guitar sound! With reverb, delay, echo, feedback, distortion, everything set to eleven, he made enough noise for eleven guitarists. When Randall and drummer/vocalist Dean Sprunt hit that big riff in "Teen Creeps," you know the one that goes, "Duh duh duh duh da da duh," the one that would make Beavis and Butthead thrash on their sofa, the crowd in the pit went absolutely ape sh*t.

Yet for No Age, being the most punk rockingest band of the day, did have its drawbacks. Sprunt pounded his drums so hard that an extra sand bag had to be brought out for the front of his bass drum. It didn't help much. Later, mid way through the set, Randall's guitar just gave out. It was likely due to bad wiring or something like that, but I'd like to think it was from a shredding overload. Finally, when LA's Abe Vigoda joined Randall and Sprunt for Black Flag's "Nervous Breakdown," for what should have been a special moment to close the set, things got really punk. Abe Vigoda were TRASHED, and they quickly lost interest in rocking out, opting instead to ditch their gear and jump in the pit. And while it wasn't the ending No Age were hoping for, with the chaos, confusion, loud, sloppy Rock 'N' Roll, and complete drunkenness of their special guests, it was certainly punk.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 2: Extra Golden

2008-07-20T11:15:00.003-04:00

Meet the undisputed kings of day two of The Pitchfork Music Festival: Extra Golden. While you may not be familiar with the music of this half Kenyan half American band and their brand of Kenyan Benga-American Rock fusion, there's a good chance you've heard their story. Prior to their first American tour, they were having issues with visas and The Department of Homeland Security, so they enlisted the help of soon to be famous Kenyan American, who at the time was the junior senator from Illinois, Barack Obama. With his help, and the help of countless others, they were able to get to the states and make those first dates.

Simply witnessing the joy and passion on the faces of the Kenyans who were part of the seven member touring band, was enough to put a grin on your face from ear to ear. They had the most infectious smiles and the most gracious personalities. Then, combined with the music, that seamless combination of African and American rhythms, spiced with R&B, soul, disco, and pretty much anything else designed to make your bottom half move, it was damn near impossible not to enjoy yourself. Look, I know proper press decorum. I should look studious with my notebook and clap politely after each song. And I know proper Pitchfork Festival decorum. I should look only slightly interested and mildly disaffected, and clap politely after each song. However, once Extra Golden got going and jammed on "Jokalando," "Obama," and "Night Runners," decorum was out the window. There was smiling, and dancing, and it seemed like anything was possible. The most awkward dude in the crowd could dance with a totally hot babe for ~~five~~ ~~ten~~ FIFTEEN MINUTES! I wanted to ditch the bag, ditch the press pass and dance with totally hot babes for fifteen minutes. Instead, I smiled wide, tapped my feet, bopped my head, and applauded enthusiastically after each number. It was the least I could do for a band who have been through so much, and who delivered without a doubt, the best performance on the second day of the festival.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 2: Vampire Weekend

2008-07-20T10:31:00.003-04:00

Here's my new theory on Vampire Weekend: The only people who concern themselves with the band's authenticity and whether they're deserving of the truck loads of hype they've received in the past year are critics and obsessives. For the casual music fan, like all those crowding around the Aluminum Stage late Saturday afternoon, things like appropriation of world sounds, privileged lifestyles, and preppy clothing had no bearing at all. They wanted to hear those light summery sounds, bright guitar lines, syncopated rhythms, and the carefree croon of Ezra Koenig.

Unlike F*ck Buttons, and Sebadoh before them, Vampire Weekend have a sound tailor made for the big festival stage. Songs like "Mansard Roof", "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," and "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance" cut deftly through the humidity, polished up the grey skies, reached far back in the crowd, and had many in the ever growing sea of humanity singing, dancing, and bopping along.

Yet, while their songs may translate well to an open air setting, the band's stage presence is still a bit lacking. Even with the record sales, and the attention, and MTV premieres, and with bigger and better gear producing a more polished sound, they lack the confidence needed to really deliver a stand out performance. When Koenig tried to engage the crowd to sing a long to "M-79" and "Blake's Got a New Face," he would say something like, "If you want to have fun, You can sing along. It's your choice. So when I say 'Blake's got a new face, you say Blake's got a new face. OK.'" C'mon man, you just released one of the best pop albums of the year, and if you want to get the crowd involved and believe in you and your music, you'll need to ditch the awkward and modest shtick, cause if you don't, you'll never hear the sound of thousands of people echoing your voice.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 2: F*ck Buttons

2008-07-20T09:45:00.007-04:00

One of the best aspects of the Pitchfork Music Festival is that bands who normally don't have the luxury of spacious stages and friendly set times, get much better treatment than they would at get at any other festival. Herein lies one of the festivals main weaknesses as well. Some bands just don't translate well to the open air of the festival setting. Seeing F*ck Buttons up close, those piercing squelches and squeals conjured from their tabletop electronics sound more dynamic and more nuanced than on disc. You can see how Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power use visual cues to decide how hard and how thick to lay down their rumbling waves of fuzz, and you can see how those deathly screams from Power, the ones that sound as if they're coming from the damnedest demon in the lowest level of hell, come from a kid's toy microphone. However, if you were at the back of the crowd, then all you heard was something similar to the noise of heavy machinery stripping and paving a city street.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 2: Jay Reatard

2008-07-20T09:31:00.000-04:00

Day two of the 2008 Pitchfork Musical Festival started with rain, lots of it, Boban& Marko Markovic Orkestar, Titus Andronicus, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, and Jay Reatard, who took the Aluminum Stage shortly after 1:30 with a crowd covered umbrellas and rain slickers, and everything electric covered in plastic, lots of it. God bless the Time Out Chicago girl who was passing out free umbrellas.

Jay Reatard's time on the big stage was far from your typical Reatard set. First of all, he was on his best behavior. There was no crowd baiting, no name calling, and very little cursing. When Reatard played Cleveland last year, every song was introducted with MF this and MF that. Saturday, he kept his mouth clean with the exception of a couple extra b*tches added to the lyrics of "See Saw," and some extra commentary during "Greed, Money, Useless Children," where he couldn't help but scream, "F*cking useless brats." Consequently, there were no ugly crowd scenes like the one witnessed in Toronto earlier this year.

Also out of character for a Jay Reatard show was the length of his set. Whereas most acts playing a festival shorten their sets to fit in their 30 or 40 minute slot, a 30 minute slot for Reatard meant an extra 10-15 minutes of rock. Remember, this is a dude who only knows how to play fast and is typically done with his days work in 15-20 minutes.

Still, if you came to Chicago to see Jay Reatard, you would not have been disappointed. The cursing and crowd baiting is cool and all, but what people really want from Reatard is to see those flowing mop tops and flying v's in action, cranking out supercharged slices of hyper melodic garage punk. Reatard and band satisfied many a fan by hitting some of the sweeter cuts from Blood Visions including, "Nightmares," "Oh, It's Such a Shame," "Not a Substitute," and "Fading All Away," as well as the single "Hammer I Miss You" and the b-side, "An Ugly Death." Plus, with the extra time on the big stage, there was some extra shredding. During "An Ugly Death," as well as set closer, "Let It All Go," Reatard and company unleashed their inner metal men and jammed like I've never seen them jam before.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

Seen at Pitchfork 2008

2008-07-20T08:49:00.006-04:00

Seen at day two of the Pitchfork Music Festival: lots of rad bands, three dudes with handle bar moustaches, MTV personality John Norris looking like he was trying to look 18, many, many ironic concert t-shirts, but without a doubt one of the most memorable sights of the second day was Les Savy Fav's Tim Harrington and his $2 barber shop.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski

More photos from Pitchfork 2008 can be found here.

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 1: Sebadoh and Public Enemy

2008-07-19T12:15:00.015-04:00

The final two bands on Friday night provided a stark contrast in styles and attitudes. First, you had the gee, aww-shucks we're in a rock band and we're going to play a few songs for you tonight, demeanor of Sebadoh, who were to be followed by the larger than life personas of Chuck D, Flava Flav, and Public Enemy.

Sebadoh's classic lo-fi style, perfected on albums like Bubble and Scrape (which they performed in its entirety), isn't really one made for the big stage. Dive bars with sh*tty sound, living rooms, and basements, now that's where Sebadoh sounds their best, but a headlining act on the first day of a major festival, not so much. At times Lou Barlow, Eric Gaffney, and Jason Lowenstein seemed uncomfortable, or disinterested, with all the attention. Consequently, there was way too much of this:

And not enough of this:

So, it was no surprise when The Bomb Squad mistakenly thought Sebadoh had finished their set, and had begun to hype the crowd for Public Enemy. Lou Barlow, the lovable slacker he is, shrugged off the gaffe on the Squad's part, and quietly finished his last two songs.

Although it's been twenty years since Public Enemy released the seminal hip-hop album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, the music and the message contained in that set sound as relevant as ever. Poverty, war, high gas prices, a sluggish economy, inequality: these are all problems affecting millions of Americans, of all races and all religions and who better to wake up the collective consciousness than the one and only Public Enemy. Did it matter that those fists in the air, fighting the power were awfully light, and/or white? Not to Chuck D and Flava Fav. We're all in this fight together.

Public Enemy sounded remarkably tight, and did their best to keep their focus on celebrating their landmark album. However, Flava Fav, being Flava Fav, couldn't pass up his chance at self promotion, and when he reminded the crowd who's the biggest reality TV star in the world, and who has a new program airing on Wednesday nights, he was met with a smattering of boos. It was the sole misstep by the group during an otherwise extraordinary performance.

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski unless otherwise noted

More photos can be found here

More coverage of P4K08 here.

2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Day 1: Mission of Burma

2008-07-19T11:15:00.003-04:00

From my first Rock 'N' Roll concert to present day, one word I would never use to describe the experience is promptness. There's the slackers who are too busy with nothing to get their gear set up and rock out and the prima donnas who think the whole world is their stage, and live to make the crowd impatient. There's the Rock 'N' Roll party animals who are too drunk to care about time, and even the regular Joe's who play to a crowd of five on a Friday night, have learned the fine art of making the crowd wait. Yet, the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival, a model of efficiency, kicked off promptly at 6 o'clock, just like the schedule promised.

Mission of Burma were fist on the Connector Stage, and as alluded to above, wasted no time in kicking off Pitchfork 2008, but being the swell guys they are, they treated the crowd to a few bonus cuts before playing their classic 1982 album VS.

As was the case when I saw Mission of Burma two years ago in Cleveland, they sounded incredible. With the rash of band reunions happening these days, it's easy to get disillusioned with all the rock vets getting the band back together for another go round. Make no mistake about it, Mission of Burma, are doing it for all the right reasons, the only reason, for the music. They may look a little older, and dress like your dad dresses on casual Fridays, but Roger Miller, Peter Prescott, Cliff Conley were never big into the fashion of Rock 'N' Roll. Just watch those bonus DVD's that came with this year's Mission of Burma's reissues, and you'll see three normal dudes, considerably younger, normal dudes, who were all focused on the music

As for their actual performance, highlights included, "Trem Two," which is still my favorite Mission of Burma song after all these years, an extended version of "Weatherbox," where Prescott injected the classic Suicidal Tendencies line, "All I wanted was a Pepsi" during one of their noisy breakdowns, and their classic anthem "That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate."

All photos by Jeff Sierputowski unless otherwise noted.

More photos can be found here

More coverage of P4K08 here.

Housekeeping!

2008-07-17T12:20:00.002-04:00

*While the Hold Steady show at the Beachland Ballroom tonight is sold out, that doesn't mean you can't join me and my rock box for the pre-show tailgate party. It runs from 6:30 to 9, and there will be drink and food specials, and best of all, it's free.

*Also, I'd like to remind you that I Rock Cleveland will be at this year's Pitchfork Music Festival happening this weekend in Chicago. I'll be updating the site all weekend long with news, pictures, reviews, and maybe even a guerrilla interview, or two.

Boris. The Grog Shop. 07.16.08

2008-07-17T11:54:00.006-04:00

I'm a believer. And those dudes who were going ape sh*t in the front row, they're believers. The dude who got tossed from the Grog during the opening number, "Flower Sun Rain," I'm pretty sure he's a believer, too. Else, he wouldn't have been so pissed that he only managed to hear five minutes of Japan's now legendary, Boris.

The first thing you notice when Boris takes the stage, besides the stacks of amplifiers and the giant gong behind drummer Atsuo Mizuno, is how small they all are, and consequently, how such a small band can make such a large sound. Unless you were in the front row of the packed Grog Shop, you'd be hard pressed to catch a glimpse of Atsuo, and his Seinfeld like poofy shirt, bassist/guitarist/vocalist Takeshi and his double necked guitar, the ever so stoic, Wata, on guitar, or frequent contributor, Michio Kurihara, also on guitar, who had joined the band on this tour. Look, I know that it's not the size of the man, but the size of the amp, yet it was still a surprise, how hard, and how heavy they played once the slight and quiet groove of "Flower Sun Rain" gave way to the throbbing Rock 'N' Roll overdrive of "Buzz-In." I'm so accustomed to heavy bands being and acting larger than life, and here were four short musicians from Japan, filling the room with a heavenly buzz, out shredding the most manly of American metal men.

Doom, drone, scuzz, fuzz, or metal. I may not know how to label it, but I can describe what followed as amazing. The heavier numbers like "Laser Beam" and "Statement" had the front of the crowd thrashing and slam dancing, with many others head banging in approval. While "My Neighbor Satan," with its alternating movements of flowery, ambient tones, and thick, rumbling chords provided a much needed break for stiff necks and sore joints.

With Boris' set list largely following the U.S. track listing of Smile, adding the occasional b-side like "Floor Shaker" and Pink's title track to fill out the 90+ minutes, the night's climax was destined to be Smile's closing suite of "You Were Holding My Umbrella/..." And what a climax it was. They jammed on that number for what had to be 20 minutes. I went outside for a cigarette, got a glass of water from the bar, checked out the merch table and its pricey imports, and the band were still jamming. They jammed for what had to be another 20 minutes. They shocked the crowd with blitzing feedback. Covered the crowd with glacial movements of sound. Retreated back to abstract tones and ambient textures, only to bring that wonderful rumble back again. This wasn't some band indulging their inner rock star on stage. The reverence in the eyes of the front row could tell you that much. No, Boris are rock stars, and those fans fixated on the stage came for 40 minutes of bliss, and to see Atsuo attack that giant gong with all the energy he could muster as the guitarists blazed away. They came to be one with their heroes, as they did once Atsuo leapt into the crowd, not once, but twice. And they wanted more, as the band kept jamming after Atsuo left the stage. More than anything else, they wanted to believe that there are still bands who can change your life, and make no mistake about it, Boris is that kind of band.

Set List:

1. Flower Sun Rain
2. Buzz In
3. Laser Beam
4. Pink
5. Statement
6. Floor Shaker
7. My Neighbor Satan
8. Ka Re Ha Te Ta Sa Ki
9. You Put Up Your Umbrella
10. ...

Disclaimer: This set list was scribbled hastily at 1 a.m. and I swear there were 12 songs in the set, but when I opened my notebook to go over my notes, I only had 10. So take it for what it's worth.

"Powerlines" by The Interiors

2008-07-16T17:00:00.000-04:00

On a hot tip from People With Animal Heads (whose blog, coincidently, doesn't seem to be working right now), I've been checking out this new band from Chicago, The Interiors. On the surface, they play straight up alt-rock, modern rock, college rock, indie rock, or whatever it is the kids call it these days. However, once you pay closer attention, you'll find much greater depth in their music. In particular, if you focus on the rhythm section, you'll notice not only are they quite capable with your standard rock beats, but they are equally adept at subtly working in more complex world beats. This isn't like Vampire Weekend doing Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon for a new generation. Rather, they mix in their influences in a much subtler manner, by shifting the focus to an off beat during a bridge, or by varying the tone and texture of a guitar solo. I'm not ready to call them the next big thing or the next anything (there's a few songs where you can't escape that later-era Chili Peppers feeling, and we all know that isn't a good thing), but I will say, numbers like "Powerlines," sure sound good on a hot summer day like today.

MP3: The Interiors - Powerlines

The Interiors will be in Cleveland on August 8th at Now That's Class with Dead Letter Room

The Interiors
The Interiors Myspace

54/40 or Fight Records

"Nowheres Nigh" by Parts & Labor

2008-07-16T16:29:00.000-04:00

During my 2+ years running I Rock Cleveland, I've learned to separate Bill the music fan from Bill the blogger/critic. It's not easy. You don't know how many times I wanted to write, "This sh*t rules," in lieu of a more formal review.

Well, I just heard a new track by Parts and Labor, and you know what? This sh*t rules. "Nowheres Nigh," which debuted P4K earlier today, is from the new full length, Receivers, not due out until October 22nd on Jagjaguwar. It's not nearly as manic as the band's last release, 2007's Mapmaker, where the Brooklyn noise makers crafted huge punk anthems out of an ungangly assortment of glitchy electronics. Here, they've taken a more nuanced approach. One where there's space (something that was a rare commodity on Mapmaker), and one where the electronics, once overwhelming the ears with their unpredictable squelches, are much more restrained. The result is Parts & Labor's most melodic, and most accessible work to date.

Parts & Labor - Nowheres Nigh

Parts and Labor
Parts and Labor Myspace

Have your calendar ready? Receivers will be out October 22nd on Jagjaguwar, and the band will be playing in Cleveland the following day, Wednesday, October 23rd at The Grog Shop.

Jagjaguwar Records

Moving Pictures: "Can't Go Back" by Primal Scream

2008-07-15T14:02:00.000-04:00

"Can't Go Back," is a rather fitting title for a Primal Scream single, as this is a band who have made a habit of jumping from one style to another during their nine album career, rarely if ever, exhibiting any sytlistic continuity from one disc to the next. Still, one could hardly accuse them of jumping trends. Who in their right mind would follow up their most successful album, Screamadelica, one which perfectly captured the spirit of the early Nineties Madchester sound, with an album of American R&B and Southern rock, at a time when alternative was king? That's not the move of a band looking to cash in on the whims of the underground. A band who's diverse, or a band who's restless, maybe, but not a band who's overly concerned with trends. So, it's no surprise, that following their second stab at American rock with 2006's Riot City Blues, Bobby Gillespie and the band, have once again shifted their focus, as "Can't Go Back" falls somewhere between the raw and agressive electronics of XTRMNTR, and the more polished dance sounds of Evil Heat, while still maintaining a certain rock edge.

YOUTUBE: Primal Scream - Can't Go Back

Primal Scream's ninth studio album, Beautiful Future, will be out July 21st in England, and (as the best I can tell) the following Tuesday, July 29th in the States.

Primal Scream
b*unique Records

"In the New Year" by The Walkmen

2008-07-15T12:45:00.001-04:00

Few artists can make optimism sound as desperate as The Walkmen's Hamilton Leithauser can. On "In the New Year," from the Walkmen's forthcoming album You & Me, Leithauser wails "I know that it's true, it's gonna be a good year/Out of the darkness and into the fire/I tell you I love you" in the way only he can, with a tight grasp on the microphone and his head tilted back like an Eighties hardcore singer, as if he's coaxing promise out of the sheer force of his emotion and the overreaching volume of his crooning. Yet, I'm hardly surprised that by song's end, the object of Leithauser's affection has gone her own way. It's how many of The Walkmen's tales seem to end. All of the thumping percussion, swirling organs, and drunken pleas in the world couldn't make her stay, but damn it, if he didn't give it his best shot this time around.

MP3: The Walkmen - In the New Year

You & Me by The Walkmen will be out August 19th on Gigantic Records.

The Walkmen
The Walkmen Myspace

Gigantic Records

The Free Times Makes The Ultimate Cleveland Summer Mixtape

2008-07-12T10:43:00.006-04:00

The great thing about lists, or mixtapes for that matter, is that they're never right. Make a list on a website and someone, scratch that, everyone is bound to disagree. In the latest (and perhaps last) issue of the Free Times, music critics Ron Kretsch, Jeff Niesel, Anastasia Pantsios compiled their ultimate Cleveland mixtape.

I'm not going to complain about the selections, that's your job. I am going to complain that in the Age of The Internet, the Free Times didn't bother to include any audio links, video links, or online mixtapes. So, I did some digging and found some great rare footage on Youtube. In particular, the live clips of Pere Ubu, and The Dead Boys are priceless.

Side 1:

Andrea Carroll - Please Don't Talk to the Lifeguard
Pere Ubu - Waiting For Mary This live video comes from the old show Night Music and features guests David Sanborn and Debbie Harry

Uptown Sinclair - Girlfriend

Anne E. DeChant - Girls and Airplanes
Generators - I'm a Generator
Morticia's Chair - Morning in July
Pat Dailey - Great Lakes Song
The Mice - Downtown Live at The Phantasy

Chris Allen - Tilta Whirl
Outsiders - Time Won't Let Me
Chi-Pig - Bountiful Living
Devo - Uncontrollable Urge

Frankie Yankovic - Cleveland the Polka Town

Side 2:

I-Tal - Rockers
The Vacancies - Hand of Fear
Gem - Your Heroes Hate You
O'Jays - Use Ta Be My Girl
Raspberries - Ecstasy
Zaza - Wild and Forever
Eric Carmen - Make Me Lose Control
The Twilight - Walking Down the Street
Black Keys - When the Lights Go Out
Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer

Levert - Casanova
Ray Cash - Bumpin' My Music
Section 36 - Go Joe Charboneau
Michael Stanley - Rosewood Bitters

Bonus Tracks:

h-100s - Destroy Cleveland
Chargers Street Gang - Every Light on Euclid This isn't Every Light on Euclid, but it's rad footage of The Chargers Street Gang nonetheless.

Mifune - Supercrush
Michael Stanley Band - He Can't Love You

Roué - Rockin' This Disaster
Kiddo - This Could Take Forever

Patrick Sweany - Them Shoes
30 Lincoln - East of Motor City