Thursday, January 8, 2009
Cream Like a Spurgeon: Pop My Cherry on New Local Bands
Posted by Ashley Spurgeon on Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 1:38 PM
How I Became the Bomb. JEFF the Brotherhood. The Features. Pretty much anything even tangentially related to a dance party. These shows get a lot of play around the Cream, and not without good reason. However, it's hard to ignore that some readers, the precious little angels we do this for, are getting kind of antsy for some new local bands and reviews.
Well, bitch and you shall receive! In the spirit of the new year, I'd like to introduce a new recurring feature: Pop My Cherry. I'll go out and see a show based on your recommendations and review it for the Cream. The only caveat? It has to be a band I've never seen before.
But first a word to the wise.
Because I can't promise I'm going to MySpace anything before I go, I'm going to judge all bands (or singer-songwriters) based on the following criteria:
- Affordability - 'Cause we're all broke!
- Any Standout Songs? - What's going to keep me coming back?
- Audience Enthusiasm - If everyone is bored, it's a bad sign.
- Band Enthusiasm - If the band doesn't try, why should I care?
- Are They Hot? - j/k! (?)
- Basic Musicianship - If even I think you can't play for shit, trust me, you can't play for shit.
Tell you what: I promise to walk in to absolutely any kind of show with a positive attitude if you promise not to set me up for a high school cheerleader-style beat-down. Rock, pop, metal, funk, lezbore, hip-hop, don't care. I'll see it all if you sell it well enough. But don't get me wrong: If they suck I will call them out, thus forever ruining their hopes and dreams of rock 'n' roll stardom. Pimp carefully, friends.
So come on: What's underground and going on that I need to get off my ass and check out?
Comments (44)
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Ha. "Pimp carefully"
The Joiners, of course. www.joinerhouse.com
New Faces night, next week, the 13th.
Rawk.
As a fan of the literary classic "Brave New World" I'm curious to know what "Brave New Whore" sounds like. Also, are they a band or is it just one girl? Their/her next show is Friday night at the Muse w/Blood Tribe.
Check out James Fate tomorrow night at Cafe Coco.
http://www.myspace.com/jamesfate
:-)
He's kind of like Jason Mraz meets Maroon 5 with a hiphop bounce to it. And one of (if not the) most clever freestyle artists in Nashville. High Energy with pop sensibility. Rock and Hip-hop fusion actually done WELL. No regrets.
I'm going to Kindercastle (first time) on Saturday night...have you seen them before?
Never seen Kindercastle, but the name is familiar. I think they open for a lot of shows I roll up late on.
The Loft. Fantastic band.
www.lovetheloft.com
Gabe Dixon Band. Another good one.
www.gabedixonband.com
Ashley! Never seen Kindercastle? You need to. Really. If not at the Basement on Saturday, then Mercy Lounge next Friday (1/16) with How I Became the Bomb, The Protomen, Shoot the Mountain, Eureka Gold & The Hotpipes.
If you do see them at Basement on Friday, I can assure you that you'll make a point to see them at Mercy next week. Of course, I'm going to venture to say that you and I (along with the rest of our friends) will be hanging out at Mercy every night next week for all of the free anniversary shows.
I second Kindercastle, Ashley. So, so, so effing great. They've most definitely got it, and what it is, is oh so good.
Hey Anon, The Loft broke up. The remaining members started The New Protestants (and are currently looking for an enthusiastic bluesy rock front man).
LOL @ "news flash" being used un-ironically as preface to a zinger. Hey dude, the jerk store called, they're running out of you!
"But don't get me wrong: If they suck I will call them out, thus forever ruining their hopes and dreams of rock 'n' roll stardom."
wow. sarcasm is not dead.
:keep your eyes open for:
-Most Amazing Century of Science (M.A.C.O.S.) - depends on what show you decide to attend.
http://www.myspace.com/themostamazingcenturyofscience
-Brontosaurus - Pop Music (sunday night at rcktwn.. yeah yeah.. I know.)
http://www.myspace.com/brontosaurus1980
-Terror'ish - Experimental Noise
http://www.myspace.com/terrorish
jamie
Here are some bands you can go see at the Muse:
-- Blood Culprit
-- Hellraiser
-- Disarray
-- Oblivion Myth
-- Ex Nihilo
-- She Is the Liar
-- Sympathetic Scarecrow
-- Misled Utopia
-- By Blood We Are Bonded
-- Rose Funeral
-- Goodbye Apathy
-- I Am Abomination
-- Too Pure to Die
-- Thick As Blood
-- Blood Stained Dusk
-- Legions of Astaroth
-- Woe
-- Rituals of a Blasphemer
-- Benighted in Sodom
... FUN TIMES!
The Middlemen. They will make you want to have children then abort them all in one set.
"LOL @ using LOL" is halarius!!!
:^)
Can nashvillecream get a comment voting system like stereogum puhleaze?????!???
ashley you need to see kindercastle. a promising band. alhtough i wouldn't define kindercastle as 'unknown' or 'underground'.
is 'she is the liar' a real band name? thats priceless
Ashley, are you sure your criteria for judging bands are going to yield the results you're looking for?? if you read enough rock biographies and the like, you'd find that some of the greatest bands to have ever existed played to less than enthused crowds, until someone with real taste picked up on them. could it ever be the case that a band is just too innovative or new/different for some dumbass
audience or self-proclaimed critic to really get what they are doing?? Also, you should define musicianship a little more clearly...some of the greatest bands out there DIDN'T display what you
might call good musicianship. If this were a criterion for judging bands, then we might have never had the Shaggs, the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, the whole punk movement, and a TON of other highly influential bands.
So, i could go on about your "criteria," but all this begs the question?? Are you, Ashley Spurgeon, up to the task of judging these things?
what makes you qualified to make these judgements? prove your worth to the bands, if they're going to have to prove theirs to you.
Btw, listened to some 'shoot the mountain' on their myspace page? that song 'zoo' is just plain stupid. Ashley, if you unnconditionally dig this band, then i can't trust anything you might have to say about whether a band is good...
Did someone seriously just say that the Shaggs are one of the greatest bands of all-time? And in a sentence mentioning the Velvet Underground? Example fail!
yep...someone said it, b/c in some peoples' eyes they were. Frank Zappa, who is in fact good, despite what the hipster contingent may think, said they were better than the beatles...
in 30 years will anyone remember 'eureka gold?'
HELL NO!!! but 30 years later, the shaggs are still in the minds of people who can think outside the box with their tastes.
Gold, you're more clueless than i think you can even realize...your comments about it not being cool to admit that you like johnny cash are just assinine, man!!
and your terse little expressions such as 'example fail,' did they teach that at berklee??
i thought lester bangs said that thing about the beatles, not zappa.
oh, and zappa sucks.
Hi Ashley. I would recommend checking out sets from Eyeball (playing sometime this month or next at Springwater), Aether Jag (might be a little while before the next show), any time the Lone Official or Altered Statesman plays, and I second Mammoth's suggestion of Most Amazing... and Terror'ish.
And Wes and the Illegals, since I've missed two shows by them and I need to get my ass out of the house!
Feel free to make the case for how the Shaggs are in the same pantheon of influence as The Stooges. I'd love to hear it. Keep in mind you're talking about a band who's only record was OUT OF PRINT from 1969 to 1982. Don't get me wrong, I like the Shaggs as much as the next guy, but to claim them as one of greatest bands of all time with an influence tantamount to the Velvet Underground is laughably absurd.
That wasn't the point...the point is that some great bands have and will continue to be overlooked b/c of someone's narrow definition of what good musicianship is, etc. I threw them in there, b/c they are a clear example of a band that was not understood by the mainstream. I didn't say they were 'tantamount' to anything.
That's you putting words in my mouth. But i guarantee you that there were some folks who were inspired to take up instruments after they heard the shaggs...that's all...
"...some of the greatest bands out there DIDN'T display what you
might call good musicianship. If this were a criterion for judging bands, then we might have never had the Shaggs, the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, the whole punk movement, and a TON of other highly influential bands."
Which of these words did I put in your mouth?
"but to claim them as one of greatest bands of all time with an influence tantamount to the Velvet Underground is laughably absurd."
I think Velvet Underground sucked. Zappa didn't like them either. Another example of quasi-artistic 'hip' types trying to act like serious musicians. That shit is weak. I'm sure they had great hats though.
Don't forget, even if they're shitty musicians they may get hotness points! Not all hope is lost!
You might not like the Velvet Underground. You might even think they're overrated. But you can't deny their influence.
No, you're right Gold, I wouldn't deny their influence. I just think the whole "Factory" thing is one of the reasons music concerts became fashion shows. Nothing wrong with that, it just rubs me the wrong way. Too much vanity and not enough practice.
And Nico's voice makes me want to puke.
Well then you're in luck, Ashley! Besides being one of the most incredible local bands, Kindercastle's front-man gets 10 out of 10 points for hotness!
It is highly recommended that you checkout their music and tushes on the 16th at Mercy Lounge.
KingBilly.
They play on the 22nd at 12th and Porter. Show starts at 8 but they won't be on until 10ish. And it's free!
I also second The Gabe Dixon Band.
i think as far as any local band is concerned, this criteria works fine. if there are any Velvets or Shaggs lurking among us, i'm sure they'll get their notice with or without Ashley's help.
bands aren't being overlooked in this town due to an alleged lack of musicianship. if that were the case, we wouldn't be bitching at each other over JEFF every other week.
i think Ashley's only trying to be diplomatic and fair about the process without being accused of letting her personal tastes and biases getting in the way. she's new to the Cream, though. so it may be a minute before she learns that even by being fair and even-handed, people are still going to accuse her of being an elitist asshole.
one of my favorite moments from scharpling/wurster's 'rock, rot, or rule' is when dude calls up and asks about zappa, and Ronald Thomas Klontel says: "ROT. Humor has no place in music."
hey luke... on that note, read this review of the mattoid from his last Minneapolis show: http://blogs.mspmag.com/themorningafter/2008/10/10808-the-mattoid-and-silver-j.html
Ashley,
I pity the fool who doesn't give The Dirty Holidays a listen. Check em out!!
myspace.com/thedirtyholidays
AXWY doesn't play out yet, but they just released a record. Does having only one member in Nashville count?
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