This definable era of bands will soon draw to a close.  How do I know?  Because trends are emerging.  And once a trend emerges, it’s only a matter of time.  “No!” you say.  “The trend of pop punk Emo/Screamo bands with sleeve tattoos and vented snare drums will continue forever!”  Yes, it very well may, but not in the eyes of the general public.  Except that vented snare thing, what was that all about.

Last night, the band I’m in played a show after a short hiatus.  It was at a downtown Manhattan venue, known for their indie rock type aesthetic.  As we loaded equipment in, this is what the stage looked like

Notice anything?  Yeah.  That’s without the 3 keyboards we added.  Several years ago, in the aforementioned pop punk era, every guitar player had a half stack with a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier.  Do they even make those anymore?  Every bass player had an Ampeg SVT 8×10…which is still in use, but only for appropriate occasions, like a venue which requires a bass amp the size of 2 people.  Drummers had elongated cannon type kick drums, toms hanging with RIMS mounts, all sorts of elaborate crap.

Is it ironic this photo came from myspace?

All of that is gone.  Every band had at least 2 keyboards.  There were 6 Blackface Fender combo amps, every single bass player had a Fender P Bass (it used to be the Musicman Stingray!) There were 3 Fender Jazzmasters between 4 bands, and shit tons of Reverb.

Gibson Les Paul’s have completely vanished.  This could also be similar to the original Punk era, musicians just buy what’s cheap.  A Gibson Les Paul Standard costs $2,500.  That’s just plain ridiculous.  In this economy, what musician can approach that?  Pre housing bubble, I’ll bet a lot more were sold, perhaps dude to less worry about taking on credit card debt.

You see a ton more of Gibson’s less expensive model, the SG (for a used one, you can spend $800-1000 for a standard!) And Fender Guitars have pretty much taken over.  Jazzmaster prices are on the rise though,  same as the Strat’s in the 6o’s, which Fender used to have to cut prices on repeatedly, until they were popularized by that dude with the bandana/Afro and the British guy who played Layla on Unplugged.

(This concludes my economic report)

When one looks back on this era, it will certainly have a definable sound.  Yes, the lo-fi thing is very present, but it’s a very clear type of lo-fi.  We all got so used to those super balanced, scooped mid, high wattage, predictable giant tube amps, that everyone revolted.  You don’t necessarily know how those low wattage amps will react when you turn them up, but they really do sound so much more natural.  Everyone probably also got tired of carrying a 4×12 speaker cabinet up a flight of steps.

And the reverb….oh the reverb, how we love it!  Think of those late 90’s, early 2000’s vocal sounds.  There was so much compression!  As the gold standard of slightly alternative yet poppy records, think of Jimmy Eat World as an example.  We just don’t want to hear things that clearly anymore!  We’re literally washing it out!

Its not as extreme as Hair Metal to Grunge, but it is similar.  Screaming metal wails…..mumbled hoarse vocals.   Scooped mids wall of Marshall full stacks….whatever old crap you could get your hands on (hence the resurgence of the Jazzmaster!)

It’s just a slight rebellion against what was popular before.  What will come next?  Who knows.  I’m gonna say shit gets stripped down even further.  Back to the economics of it, touring is the #1 source of income for musicians.  If you have to travel constantly, you need to be light on your feet.  More overhead is more money lost…so why carry 3 keyboards, 3 combo amps, and a 4 piece drum kit…..when you can play all acoustic, kick and snare, with just some more focus on the PA effects?

Just throwin’ it out there.  Someone get me a show on CNBC, after Cramer.

We saw Andrew Bird at the Beacon theater earlier this month, and a good portion of the show was the entire band unplugged, with ONE SINGLE MIC at the foot of the stage.  It sounded fantastic.  Its also a rebellion against the over-processed pop music available.  Auto-tune has invaded nearly every recording produced today, we’re dying to hear something natural, without a net.

If our generation loves one thing, it’s being cynical.  But the optimist in me fully believes, that we love being proven wrong, and amazed by artistic endeavors.  When the next round of independent bands begins touring the land with solely a guitar case each, I will be first in line at the show.

Well, maybe a guitar case, and one of these…..

Food as music….well, I’m not going to repeat the points they made in the article, but I agree whole heartedly with them.   The joy I take in eating though, is very different from the joy I take in music.  There is one negative effect you experience in both worlds, which warrants discussion.

I know some people, who don’t really enjoy eating exotic foods.  They love delicious food (I mean, who doesn’t? Not a single person enjoys bad tasting food)  But they don’t eat anything particularly out of the ordinary.  They won’t eat garlic.  They ask for their chicken well done.  They get the dressing on the side.  They ask for the meat sauce without meat (this is a real one I experienced) but still, they go to all the restaurants.

They just want to be there.  To be part of the party.  They travel the world.  They go to Russia and don’t drink vodka.  They go to Spain and don’t eat pork products.  They go to Wine Country and only drink white wine.  You can’t escape them.

But every one of us has been to the show, where the group of people spend the quiet intro to a song discussing the bar they will go to after.  Or the girl who texts the ENTIRE time, or the dude updating Facebook, illuminating several square feet around him through the dramatic dim lighting.

These people will get in your way at any type of event.  Food, music, sports, art, botanical gardens.  The common thread shared by the chef of the week and band of the week, is that more irritating people now flock to their events.  Food is not the new music, it’s merely something we do for enjoyment.

But just for fun, lets break down a few public figure chefs into the musician they would be, shall we?

Mario Batali

Meatloaf

He’s a jovial character who clearly has chops, but is a little comical based on his media presence.

Bobby Flay

John Mayer

Known as kind of an asshole, again clearly has chops, but still no one likes him.

Anthony Bourdain

Late Period Keith Richards

Do I really have to point this out?  Well, he’s not so much famous for his cooking abilities, so lets say they he’s post Some Girls Keith.  More famous for his use of substance, than musical substance.

Guy Fieri

Dude From Smashmouth

No explanation necessary for this one.

One final thought, the Googa Mooga festival, put on by the Bonnaroo crew Superfly, is a wonderful idea in theory, but could be a dangerous clusterfuck in action.  Have you been to a music festival?  It can be a beautiful experience, or it can be hell on earth from a crowd perspective.  Without a doubt, the worst part is the lines, the waiting, the giant crowds.

For music, this can be a minimal issue.  You can be a thousand feet back, and still hear the band, see the screens, enjoy the atmosphere.  But when you’re waiting for food, which you clearly will be doing if the food is not prepackaged, it can get dangerous pretty quickly.  Just some thoughts, proceed with caution!

Well, Levon Helm passed away yesterday, one of the true greats.  Drummers are a particular breed of musician.  Sonically, its not too easy for a drummer to have a signature sound.  Think of all the greats, and how few you can identify just by hearing them play.  John Bonham, Elvin Jones….Levon Helm.  You knew it was him instantly.

I never got to see Levon perform.  Like everyone else, I love The Last Waltz, that’s where most of our images come from.   I do have one Levon related story, which cracks me up.

A few years ago, I was sent out to record an interview between Ethan Iverson of the Bad Plus and Keith Jarrett, the notorious legend, the Howard Hughes of jazz.  They talked for nearly 2 hours about many things musical, but one turn I never expected, occurred when Jarrett was talking about drummers.  They went through some jazz names, and Jarrett paused.  “Who’s that drummer from The Band?”  In a moment of unprofessionalism, I quietly said from behind the recording rig “Levon Helm???”  and he said “Levon Helm!”  here is the quote from the interview transcript (from Do The Math);

“Jack (Dejohnette) and I have this thing about Levon Helm’s playing in The Band and whenever that’s happening, we both know it.”

They, like everyone else on the planet, loved Levon’s groove.  They searched for it in their own music.  It was all of America.  New Orleans second line, Memphis soul, New York jazz, it was all in there.

Since there’s no price listed, and the briefly available Tweedy Breedlove was quite a few thousand dollars…you have to assume this one will be up there.  My first expensive guitar was a Martin D-28, which I swept many a floor and painted many a panel to purchase.  It retrospect, I sometimes wish it were a Gibson J-45.  The Martin sounds beautiful, its just a little too folk-y for some occasions.  Also, visually, its just not that cool.  And in this TMZ Kashardian world we live in, its all about the visuals.

In all seriousness, those dreadnaught Martins just don’t look that cool (at least when brand new)   So I have great respect for Tweedy and whoever designed this guitar, for changing that color.  Super cool sunburst.

Tweedy played the Bowery Ballroom last year solo acoustic, with several Martin parlor sized guitars, and one Gibson Jumbo.  I’m not sure of the model, but it had an awesome “BUCK” logo engraved in the pick guard. The first song he played with it, he messed up some chords, and apologized…he was distracted by the giant sound of the guitar.

And there it is!

It’s easy to overlook the fact that these instruments were designed in an era before amplification.  They were built to be heard over other instruments.  I heard someone comment recently that a violin is built like a little concert hall.  This photo essay demonstrates that

A few years back while traveling with a musical outfit in Canada, a friend and I bumped into a childhood guitar hero.  I had met him at a guitar workshop when I was about 14….so another 14 years had passed.  Martin had just built him a signature guitar, and he had serial number 2 with him.  You could literally feel the joy he took in it.  He pulled it right out of the case and handed it to us, like a kid showing you some toys.  Only this guy was 70.  He might have literally said “eh? pretty cool right?” Or I might have imagined that.  It was a surreal and beautiful moment.

What must it feel like to be so known for an instrument, that a 125 year old company models one after you.  Maybe its just another day for those guys.

Big giant tribute type shows are always risky. Put many artists on the same bill with a house band, doing songs written by someone else, and things are bound to be treacherous.  Equally, there are bound to be some great moments.  Its like a sandwich where you’re surprised/terrified with each bite.

Michael Dorf, creator of the original Knitting Factory, has been doing these type of shows for a while now.  They benefit various childrens music charities, and I think we can all get behind that.  Unless you want to get political, and instead of supporting music in schools, have a tax cut or some shit for wealthy job creators.  Anyway.  They pick an artist, a bunch of people do a song.  Its a classic formula, don’t mess with it.

I saw one of the first of these, a tribute to Bob Dylan.  There were some beautiful moments, Alan Toussaint doing “Mama You Been On My Mind” and Ryan Adams going way over his allotted time on an “Isis/Love Sick” binge.

Last night, a varied roster took on the Rolling Stones classic collection Hot Rocks.  One artist for each song, 21 in total.  Let’s talk about some highlights and other things.

Before the music, we have to talk about the crowd.  This venue was basically a living Portlandia sketch, with Fred Armisen playing every character.  There’s the dude with the hilarious spiked hair and the tye dyed “No Security” Stones shirt, wearing binoculars and a backpack, moving seats at every chance he got.  There’s the 50 year old guy with a braided pony tail, moving to the end of the balcony, dancing and snapping along like he’s at a Flamenco show on acid.  There were the slightly-overdressed slightly too old to be dancing like a drunken college girl-woman, who could not resist the urge to flail about.  What do these people do during the day?  I would love to find out.

OK, on we go.

TV On The Radio opened the evening with Italian singer Jovanotti performing “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” with a children’s choir. The band sounded great, but I’m pretty sure everyone got lost near the end of the song and just kept repeating the chorus, but that’s pretty much what these things are about.  You rehearse the verses and chorus so much, that you forget to come up with an ending.  It did teach me one important lesson – its all about the ending.

Ian Hunter best demonstrated this.  The Mott The Hoople front man played “19th Nervous Breakdown”  Which was not overly exciting, but his band was clearly well rehearsed, and looked like they spent lots of time coordinating outfits, which I also respect on this occasion, I mean, its Carnegie Hall, man.

The evening had 2 clear standouts.  First, you’re pretty much not going to top David Johansen on this bill.  Its an event made for him. He came out looking like every NY Jew’s aunt from Long Island who goes on too many island vacations.  White pants, white shoes, giant sunglasses, hair helmet.  “Get Off Of My Cloud” is as close to a NY Dolls song as there is in the Stones catalog…or it’s probably the opposite.

The frontrunner in all advance betting was Glen Hansard.  The man has more charisma than Obama, and is just so endearing.  He silences a crowd with solo acoustic performances. So hopes were high.  What we got was a lovely concise version of “Under My Thumb.”  With just upright bass and electric guitar, he might have owned the night.  After asking the crowd to snap along, then slowing everyone down saying “Come on guys, on the BACK of the beat, that was definitely a white snap”  the first half of the song was just bass and vocals.  He ended with a trademark segue into GLORIA, just for the hell of it.  His most insightful comment was “What kind of headspace do you have to be in to write a song like this?  This is definitely a Keith tune”

I don’t feel in the mood to dish any negative dirt, except for the fact that if you’re an actress who was in Natural Born Killers, that does not give you enough rock and roll street cred to do a Prince Style motivational breakdown in “Satisfaction”

An interesting dilemma arose about the Stones recently.  I was watching the fantastic documentary “Lemmy” about the Motorhead frontman, examining his life and approach to music.  He made the point, and I will paraphrase since I don’t remember the quote, that everyone was always arguing over who were the real “bad boys” the Beatles or the Stones.  He said there was no question, it was the Beatles.  They were from the much richer Liverpool, they played in the dangerous clubs of Hamburg, they were the real thing.  The Stones were from the suburbs, they went to art school, they were just faking it for image.  Now what impact this has on legacy, who knows, they wrote some amazing music.  But a little later on Dave Grohl made another point.

When people talk about the “Rock and Roll Lifestyle” or whatever bullshit you want to call it, they think of the Stones.  His point was, fuck that.  They’re off banging some supermodel traveling first class, while Lemmy is sitting at a bar in LA drinking Jack Daniels and working on his next album.  He doesn’t care much for image, he just is who he is.

Again, this does not dispute the fact that there was an abundance of amazing music written, it’s just something to think about.  How much do we like a legendary band for what they stood for (or what we thought they stood for) purely based on image?

Just something to think about.  Mull it over while listening to Its Only Rock And Roll.

Say what you will about elitist Brooklyn hipsters, they do appreciate a quality instruments and amps.  Vox AC15, Fender Bassman, Korg Monopoly…again, actual examples.  Just wanted to show contrast.  It’s obviously a swayed point of view, relax Vinny.

Damn Right Thats A Grado.

After several roadblocks, our record player is up and running at the new apartment.  Before the advent of the CD, people had to be way more handy than they do these days.  Have you ever replaced a turntable cartridge?  You have to deal with color coded wires the width of a human hair, tiny little screws and washers which can easily get lost in the turntable mechanism (and did!) alignment protractors, all sorts of crap.  No wonder we’re getting fat and lazy as a nation.  I burned hundreds of calories setting this thing up.  It does sound lovely though.

I can’t afford to be an Audiophile, but if you can, Park Avenue Audio is the way to go.  They walked me through the cartridge replacement, and delayed my inevitable descent into a Woody Allen like Jewish Freakout.

The Grado cartridge (made in Park Slope!) installed probably sounds better than the broken one that was in there previously, but I really have no idea.   I’m gonna say that the effect of vinyl is partially visual.  Seeing a record spinning while you hear what’s coming out has to trick your brain into feeling something different than just seeing a status bar on your iPhone.  Seeing what a performer looks like impacts how you perceive it…I’m going to bet Vinyl has a similar effect.

Two records were picked up in celebration;  A reissue of Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings 100 Days 100 Nights just to prove both old and new releases have a place in my house.  Yeah, that’s right, always gotta prove a point.

Apparently, Time Out Of Mind was not widely released on Vinyl.  Can someone get on this shit?  All I can see are a few import copies on ebay going in the multiple hundreds of dollars, and that’s just not kosher.  Mule Vatiations is widely available though.  There’s nothing I love more than a late career renaissance by an American eccentric.

That’s all for now, I hope you all enjoyed your Leap Day.  I’m gonna go make some Kale Chips and cocktails.

Let me throw out a theory about The Bell House in Gowanus, Brooklyn. It might be emerging as one of the best venues in the NY area. Yes, its incredibly far out there. The closest subway stop is not operational, you have to walk through a sketchy industrial area in the middle of the night uphill both ways in the snow to get there. There’s really not much close to it as far as bars and restaurants go. All of these factors only increase the quality of shows there.

Lets say you go to a show at the Bowery Ballroom, a time tested fantastic venue. You get all sorts of people. The drunk girls who are just stopping by on the way to their night out culminating in someone throwing up in a cab. The Bro Dudes who don’t really care about the show, but it’s easy to get to and there are hipster girls there, so they talk the whole time.  The group of friends who spends the quiet songs discussing who should get the coats from coat check.  The list goes on. At the Bell House, everyone in attendance legitimately wants to be there. They have made the trek. They have crossed the rivers or they have walked the miles. And if they want to just hang out and talk before throwing up in a cab, there’s a front bar for that with plenty of seating.

This became apparent on Saturday night when Andrew Bird performed a secret show at the venue under the name “Useless Creatures.” I thought about it….and I’ve never really seen a bad show at the venue. Every crowd has been respectful, the sound was always good, it was never a problem to get a drink, the douche factor was incredibly low. I also live a quick mile walk from the venue now….but that didn’t really play in, or at least I won’t let it for professional purposes. But now, onto the show.

Andrew Bird is a unique character. Here’s an example. At the Tribecca Film Festival this year, they screened a film called “Andrew Bird Fever Year” about his year long tour for his previous album, in which he basically had the flu the entire time. His theory was, that in order to perform every night, his body had to conserve enough energy during the day, increasing the temperature until it was time to play. It was a beautiful film, visually, sonically, narrative wise, everything. It screened twice. It will never be released, no DVD, it will not tour the festival circuit, that’s it. He just wanted to document his live band at the time, because he thought they had achieved the absolute perfect sound for the music hall venue. That’s the kind of musician he is.

In the film, we see him working on several new songs in his barn. Beautiful melancholy type tunes, spacey violin loops, simple arrangements. Rumor had it that many of these songs would appear on his new album. His new album is coming out next week, so when an email went out to his mailing list saying a band called the “Useless creatures (wink wink)” would be playing the Bell House, I was in. They announced it Friday, the show was Saturday, and sold out quickly.

The show opened with Bird playing solo, and announced they would be playing the entire new record, start to finish, beginning with the last song, then starting over (yep.) This was the first show with his new band, basically the same as the old band, except his former bass player is now on tour with Indie Monster Juggernaut Bon Iver. Martin Dosh is still on drums, Jeremy Ylvisaker is still on guitar. I don’t know the new bass player’s name, but he played very well.

Overall, the new album keeps to the vibe of the few songs that had been floating around for the past few months. More slow than fast, lots of harmony, lots of low octave swirling violin loops. His band seems to perform like another limb of his. The drums don’t sound like typical rock drums, the extra guitar plays fast picked tremolo lines, the bass sounds like his pizzicato violin bass during solo sets, only bigger.

I would say the standout track is called “Lusitania” with a catchy hook, nice groove, all those things we love about folky pop tunes. I believe St Vincent sings a verse on the record. (which is now streaming at NPR)

At the end of the set, they came back and played a few hits, including my personal favorite “Tables and Chairs”  particularly for the line “There will be snacks….all kinds of snacks.”  and a few others.  They closed with several Handsome Family covers, all acoustic, just one mic at the foot of the stage.  Bird commented that this might be the perfect venue to do such a thing.  I would have to agree.

A friend reminded me of this song today.  Not that it was ever out of my mind, but it was suddenly called to attention.

I was ironically just thinking of him minutes before, and suddenly, he posted it on my little corner of everyones favorite social media site.  It’s strange how things like that work.   On one occasion, I was listening to this song walking through West Chelsea, I turn a corner, and who is walking down the block?  None other than Mr Byrne himself, wearing all white.  I took it as a sign.

There’s something frighteningly beautiful about this song.  Someone wakes up at dawn to battle the day, they’re ready to flee the city, leave it all behind, or maybe just go out and spend a day in the park.  Who knows, it could go so many places.  The chords are just so haunting!

Byrne is truly a master of capturing these indescribable feelings.  Is it a celebration?  Should you be scared out of your mind?  Probably both, mixed with a little nostalgia.  Someone once wrote “David Bryne thinks thoughts deeper than you will ever think.”  And somehow I don’t doubt that for a second.

I started on an instrumental recording of this song, using melodica instead of strings, and its pretty much the greatest thing ever.  One day it will see the light of day.

One particularly interesting point was how we basically wait for the backlash after any media coverage of an article like this.  That just furthers the point that the guage of what sucks and what does not has never been more obvious.  This article was written by a douchebag indie rock trust fund collective, and instantly they were called out on it.  The world is a safer place, please return to normal activities.

The moral….Make sure something is completely fantastic before putting it out to the public.

In other news, I moved yesterday, and am just beginning to dig myself out of boxes.  There will be a beautiful mini studio set up in the new place, perhaps some resulting tracks will be posted.

I’ve once again fallen victim to the Craigslist eBay monster, so in addition to moving boxes, shipping boxes are now involved.  Did you know it costs fucking $60 to ship a guitar?  All relevant search results told me around $30 would do it.  Lesson learned.

In gear news, I want to get my hands on that Zvex J Mascius pedal.  Someone get Zach on the phone.

Abner and Harper Willis have parents who have paid over $100,000 for them to be musicians.  Lessons, gear, rent, publicity, studio time, all of it.  And poor Abner and Harper, have had to turn down day jobs where they could make minimum wage, in order to struggle to be rock stars.  (please never use that term)   They have played such prestigious venues as The Mercury Lounge and Highline Ballroom, they’ve gotten “some press” and all of that. Also, let me grab a tissue, because all the money they make at shows goes to pay for their drummer.  And cabs!  The dreaded cabs they must take to carry their gear!  WHERE IS FEMA ON THIS SHIT?

Now that there is literally smoke coming out of my ears, let me discuss this a bit.

Dearest Abner and Harper,

My name is Steven Weiss, I’m 28 and live in New York.  No one aside from my employers contribute to my finances.  I have a full time job, student loans, and play in a band too!  I also rent a space in Brooklyn!  I also have played venues such as these!  I’ve even played some bigger ones!  Also some smaller ones!  We’re pretty much twinsies!  Since there are 2 of you, were triplitsies!  I have a very simple response.  Fuck you both.  You’re making a mockery of anyone who tries to make an honest go of being a musician without the luxuries you have both been afforded.

Where do you get the giant inflated monster balls to write something like this?  Of course it’s hard to be a musician.  No one is going to pay you to play your own music.  That’s not why you do it.  You want to get paid, write commercial music or jingles (nothing wrong with either of those, its a legit skill and job)  but no one will pay your salary to be in an indie band.

Here’s the thing.  In that little video you posted, you can clearly see that no one is in the audience at the Highline Ballroom, and that line you show outside the Mercury Lounge is for the dance club next door.  That line is always there, and its never for the Mercury Lounge.  Hiring a publicist to do email blasts does not get you fans.  It doesn’t get music blogs to like you.  In fact, it might have the exact opposite effect.  You think people can’t identify a faceless email blast?

We live in a time where anyone playing music is extremely lucky.  Its more in our own hands than any time in history.  We don’t need record labels.  We barely need recording studios.  A&R men are irrelevant.  We don’t need traditional distribution.  But because of this, there is a higher standard than ever before.  Anything can be put out there, but anything that is shitty can just as well be forgotten.  Wonder why you’re not famous?

The fact that you whined about having to turn down low paying day jobs literally makes me want to fight you.  I am not a violent person, but you have awoken such a primal rage in my soul, that I fear I may never be able to turn it off.  I work 40 hours a week.  I rent a monthly practice space which I have a few days a week after work, then take a train to rehearse with a band on weekends.  When I have a show far from my house and I cannot borrow some type of car, I take the train.  I take cabs, but that is a luxury.  Have you ever taken a subway with a 20″ bass drum, snare drum, and cymbal bag?  Your shoulders are not so forgiving the next day.

Economically, being a musician in a city is nearly impossible.  It costs tons of money to have a practice space, maintain your gear, get to shows, pay rent, all of that.  But you fucking buy used gear.  You share a shit rehearsal space off the JMZ or G with 3 other bands.  You use shitty house gear. You beg your friends to come to shows.  You live in a place with roommates.  You record your album in that rehearsal space on whatever gear you have.  Stop fucking complaining. You want to go to a studio?  Get a job at a studio.  That’s what I did.

Having your family pay for your struggle, takes the struggle out of the equation. It negates it.  It takes away your right to complain.  And as a New York Jew, I’ve EARNED my right to complain, and I take full advantage of that.  You sirs, have not.