I'll now go
ahead and state the obvious: We're now six months into the existence of Moving
In Stereo. The near-future will see further self-syndication, but for now
there's a lot to be pleased with. As always, I encourage you to pass along
news for inclusion in future editions as my contact info is down below.
...From The Stereo
It's Been
Business Doing Pleasure With You, the five-song EP from Classic Case, has been in my CD
player a lot lately. Featuring former members of Glassjaw and Sound
Of Speed, Classic Case's sounds can be aggressive and heavy in one verse
and laid-back and soothing soon after. No matter the dynamics, however, the
music is always melodic; "Down And Out" would be a great starting point for
someone not yet familiar...Steve Burns is best known for being "the guy"
on Blue's Clues, but his Songs For Dustmites album is both
interesting and creative. Helmed with the help of members of The Flaming
Lips, it isn't surprising that Burns has helmed an eccentric debut disc.
There isn't a "hit single" amongst the 12 tracks on Dustmites, yet those
looking for some relaxing and airy sounds ought to be pleased...I wasn't
fortunate enough to catch any of Tarka's recent shows in New York City,
but the success of the "Bimbo In The Limo" single -- as praised by NME --
will hopefully bring him back to the States soon. Said to be an adopted son of
Keith Richards, the U.K. singer/songwriter also has some sincere, aurally-pleasing numbers in "Give Me" and "Shelter You."
...From The Stage
Ska is nowhere
near my forte or preferred genre of listening, but an interesting all-ska show
happened on a Monday at The Downtown. Following a strong set from I
Voted For Kodos, California's Suburban Legends performed one of the
most energetic sets I have ever seen. While their sound is comparable to Reel
Big Fish and The Aquabats, the band's one-of-a-kind live show
features full-scale choreography that puts Earth, Wind & Fire to
shame. Keeping you both entertained and amused, it's no wonder that this group
was a house band at Disney Land last year. Headliners The Arrogant
Sons Of Bitches didn't have dance routines to die for, although its
all-request set was captivating. Picking songs out of a hat, as submitted by
audience members, many long-forgotten selections were played. Look for ASOB to
be playing select dates on this year's Warped Tour...Both receiving
impressive receptions for opening acts on a reunion tour, Minus The Bear
and Murder By Death seemed to have converted a lot of new listeners at The
Bowery Ballroom. However, the audience's response to Braid was
unlike any I've experienced from a band that never had a mainstream hit.
Playing fan favorites and compilation rarities side by side, the only notable
omission of the night was "Lucky To Be Alive." Guitarist/vocalist Chris
Broach was in fine-form for the evening with tensions between he and his
three bandmates -- that have since gone on to form Hey Mercedes -- seeming
nonexistent. Unfortunately this reunion is only going to be a temporary as it
will be ending before summer's end, but maybe those of you handling the
petition for David Lee Roth's reality series would be up for double-duty?
...From The
Screen
Cheap Trick is currently on-tour with Aerosmith,
which keeps them in front of a packed arena nightly, but even non-devout fans
ought to be happy with From Tokyo To You. Filmed on a recent Japanese
tour, this DVD marks the 25th anniversary of the original At
Budokan album. This sometimes-humorous release contains 16 full songs in
concert, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews all in Dolby 2.0 and 5.1
Surround Stereo...More lo-fi than Tokyo is Live In Anaheim from
The Supersuckers. Available through Music Video Distributors, Livecombines a 17-song rock show with off-stage goofing around and part of an Eddie Spaghetti acoustic in-store. The guys might
not be "the greatest rock n' roll band ever," as they've long claimed, but most
acts could learn a lot about showmanship from watching this...Rather frightening
is a Mark Burnett-created reality show slated to air in 2005. The
premise of the show, simply put, is the search for the new lead singer of Australia's INXS. As far as post-prime rockers go, I think a more ideal subject for
a CBS show would be David Lee Roth, who is currently New
York-based and has (temporarily?) left music to be a paramedic. Maybe we can
get a petition going?
(and of course I have to give my home town of Long Island a look...)
...From The Island
2004 has seen a lot of
newsworthy breakups on Long Island, and this column aims to find the good in
such. For example, Satellite Lost will soon be playing its last show
alongside Dearly Departed and Aeschylus, but a final CD is in the
works with With Every Idle Hour's Sean Hanney...Speaking of WEIH, bassist Lou
Fontana will no longer have to split time between that four-piece and On
The Might Of Princes as the latter quartet have called it quits. Word is
that a new band will arise with three-fourths of the OTMOP lineup...Derrick
Sherman, former guitarist of The Reunion Show and a world-touring
tech with Brand New and The All-American Rejects,will be
recording demos with his new band, Modern Modern, before the end of summer.
These Enzymes,which features Sherman in metalcore-form
alongside three Oklahomans (two of them from the Rejects) and vocalist Neil
Rubenstein, will soon be putting out an EP on Doghouse Records, as
recorded with Matt Squire...The D.C.-based Squire will also be doing work
with Lux Courageous, who picked up Justin Williams from
the aforementioned Satellite Lost and inked a record deal with Triple Crown
Records, which launched Brand New -- a small world indeed.
If you have news to report for the next edition of Moving In Stereo, press releases and
all other correspondence for Darren should be sent to ASellOut@aol.com.
