Author Archive
Drummer Combines Sundaes and Hot Dogs
Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach are currently continuing the experimentation heard on 2008’s Attack and Release through their respective side projects. Before regrouping for this fall’s Blakroc project with Mos Def and RZA, Auerbach is touring in support of his solo album, Keep It Hid, and Carney is playing bass in his new side band, Drummer.
Do the extracurricular projects signal a new direction or broadening of sound? Or could it prompt them to draw back to the purer elements of the Black Keys?
“Dan and I started the Black Keys when we were very young and our first record came out when we were both 22,” says Carney. “In the past seven years we have grown a lot as musicians and have started to feel comfortable changing and doing what we want. Neither of us would ever want to feel like we need to sound a certain way to be pure.”
BLK JKS Prog Fest @ Black Cat Tuesday
Much of the BLK JKS’s press to date invokes afro-beat tinged comparisons to TV on the Radio, Bad Brains and Living Colour, though guitarist Mpumi Mcata brushes off the comparison game by encouraging “the reader to seek out and envision” rather than relying on, you know, critics.
The four-man group has erupted from South Africa as evangelists of any-influence-goes prog rock. Their latest, After Robots (Secretly Canadian), is a rousing yet challenging post-apartheid free-for-all. Such a frenetic melding of different styles, tempos, and instrumentations, though, can threaten to bury the central idea of a song.
Q & A with Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson
Austin’s Asleep at the Wheel has a lengthy résumé that includes nine Grammys, tours with Bob Dylan, and a recent well-lauded collaboration with Willie Nelson—Willie and the Wheel. The members of Asleep at the Wheel are practitioners of Western Swing, and, according to their Web site, they have “kept a buzz on a genre that might be described as ‘fringe,’” while maintaining musical integrity.
Asleep at the Wheel also has long standing ties with the Washington D.C., area: The group formed in 1970 in West Virginia and started gigging in D.C. They’ve been frequent inaugural ball performers since George H.W. Bush took office, and were scheduled to play the White House on September 11th, 2001.
Washington City Paper spoke with Asleep at the Wheel founder and sole remaining original member Ray Benson ahead of Wednesday’s show at the Birchmere.
Tonight: MECHANIX
Mechanix is back this week, and resident DJ Sean Gone had this to say about tonight’s special guests:
Rapidly emerging American pairing Matt Nordstrom and Orlando Villegas are amongst the most in demand production duos in techno. Previous works for Saved Records (Lucky Drawls & Spanglish) and remixes of the Marco Bailey and Steve Mac have climbed the sales charts and drawing high praise from Dubfire, Adam Beyer, Anja Schneider, Danny Tenaglia, Christian Smith and Loco Dice.
Steve’s Bar Room is located in the heart of Dupont at 1337 Connecticut Ave. NW.
10pm/21+/No Cover
Tonight: The Royal Bangs @ Black Cat
Royal Bangs “Poison Control” from Sundown in the City on Vimeo.
In advance of the September 15 release of their sophomore effort, Let It Beep, Knoxville, Tennessee’s the Royal Bangs are playing the Black Cat’s backstage tonight. The well-crafted Let It Beep rises above typical indie fare: Production is high, a must for a band that brings a multitude of sounds and styles, and the disc’s up tempo songs should translate well to a live setting.
Q&A: Wilco’s John Stirratt
John Stirratt joined legendary alternative country pioneers Uncle Tupelo as a bass player in 1993 for their final release, Anondyne. After Uncle Tupelo’s ugly divorce, Jeff Tweedy was awarded custody of Stirratt and they went on to form the much-lauded Wilco.
In a band that used to have a reputation for shedding members, Stirratt has remained a steady force on bass and vocals while collaborating on every Wilco release. He has also pursued other projects, such as a 2004 album with his sister Laurie Stirratt of Blue Mountain, and the band Autumn Defense with his Wilco band mate Pat Sansone.
City Paper spoke with Stirratt about Wilco’s seventh studio album, Wilco (the Album) to be released on June 30. The band is scheduled to perform at Wolf Trap on July 8 with Connor Oberst.
TV on the Radio @ 9:30
On Monday night, TV on the Radio exorcised any demons lingering after February’s uncharacteristic misstep on Saturday Night Live with a triumphant sold out show at the 9:30 Club. They opened the cage on the postmodern menagerie of sounds harnessed in the masterful Dear Science while keeping the layered electronic howl respectfully danceable.
Q & A With Easy Star All Stars Mastermind
In advance of today’s show at the 9:30 Club with Gregory Isaacs, I spoke with Easy Star All Stars co-founder Michael Goldwasser [pictured above, seated]. Goldwasser, as producer, musical director, arranger and guitarist, has been the driving force behind the Easy Star All Star tribute efforts. Those releases have included Radiohead and Pink Floyd tributes, and their recent Beatles tribute, Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band.
Black Plastic Bag: You’ve covered 3 albums by British groups. I’m assuming that its a coincidence, but do you intend to cover say an American group? If so, anyone in contention so far?
Michael Goldwasser: It is a coincidence on one level – we didn’t set out to adapt albums by British groups. But there is a strong connection since Jamaica is a former British colony and is very influenced by that in some ways. Also, a lot of my favorite reggae is from the UK. In terms of adapting an album by an American group, that certainly could happen, but we are more focused on finding the right albums to work on and are less concerned with the group behind the album.
BPB: Do you think your method could work in reverse, say a straight up rock band covering Bush Doctor or Catch a Fire?
It Ain’t Easy to Cover the Beatles, Even for an All Star
I struggled with my approach on reviewing the newest from the Easy Star All Stars—Lonely Hearts Dub Band. There are as many Beatles covers floating around as there are batshit crazy Heather Mills quotes. Most aren’t worth the time, though this tribute to Rubber Soul had its moments and this compilation from the Atlantic and Warner jazz vaults is superb.
Reggae cover albums offer their own set of challenges. As on the recent epidemic of bluegrass cover records (see Pickin’ on U2), it takes more than applying a different musical style to produce a transcendent cover. Think more “Johnny B Goode” and less “I Can See Clearly Now“.
Read More “It Ain’t Easy to Cover the Beatles, Even for an All Star” »
Q & A With Jon Rauhouse
Multi-instrumentalist Jon Rauhouse is one of those musicians whose skill and easygoing manner keeps him in high demand. He started playing in bands in 1977 (on banjo), eventually landing with the Grievous Angles in the 90’s. He’s recorded and played live with Calexioco and the Waco Brothers and even dabbled live with the Boxmasters prior to their tuqes getting revoked.
Jon is an accomplished master of the pedal steel, and has done several recordings featuring the instrument. For the past decade, however, he’s been lending his abilities in studio and on the road to Neko Case. I spoke to Jon following Neko Case’s two sold out shows at the 9:30 Club.
Interview below the jump.
