Concert Review, Music, Music Review

Concert Review: Ryan Adams and the Cardinals at the Kings Theatre, Brooklyn. August 11, 2023.

I used to describe Ryan Adams and the Cardinals as an Americana, an alt-country outfit, and bringing my soon-to-be 13-year-old son here (Brooklyn, Kings Theatre!!) I didn’t quite know what to expect (I kind of expected Ryan’s band, featuring Don Was (bass), Chris Stills (guitar), Brad Pemberton (drums), and Daniel Clarke (keys, organ), to have moved on, for sure).

But I didn’t expect what turned out to be three hours of downright, rambling, epic rock music – not even rock music at times – but hard-rock music.

They ended up playing more cover songs than originals… Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath” and “Iron Man,” KISS’s “Shout It Out Loud,” Iron Maiden’s “Powerslave,” and yes… Don Was (“Walk the Dinosaur“). Understandably, a lot from “Cold Roses.” And then the rest from “Cardinology” and “Jacksonville City Nights.”  

Nothing from “III/IV” or “29.“

BUT I WILL TAKE HIS COVERS OF KISS AND IRON MAIDEN OVER THE LATTER!!! Oh. Yes.

Ryan is now back and with whatever effort he can to bring himself back to his pre-2019 self.

My son was on a short NYC weekend trip with me, and at the start, watching Ryan play, I said, “If you ever really do want to learn how to play one of my guitars, just watch him.” (Yes, “one,” as I have far too many.)

It’s all so effortless and entertaining to watch. Other than the covers, this was all Ryan Adams and the Cardinals materials – there was no veering off to “Oh My, Sweet Carolina.” At one point, my son asked me, “When will he sing “New York, New York?” I didn’t know. 

“Soon, I’m sure.” Errrrrr…….

I’ve never been to a Ryan Adams concert that hasn’t finished with “Come Pick Me Up.” So ending with Iron Maiden… and a hard, rocking version of it on a Friday evening in Brooklyn felt refreshing.

Weirdly so!!

This was just Ryan. With all his stuffed staged cats (God, yes, he loves cats) on stage, fog whenever needed, and with the Cardinals, was why I wanted to see this concert so much. It wasn’t just him alone, on a stage, but with friends. Rocking the hell out of the place.

Listening to their “Cold Roses” favorites like “Easy Plateau,” “Beautiful Sorta,” and “Magnolia Mountain,” but then hearing a completely re-worked “A Kiss Before I Go” from what I consider their most alt-country album ever, “Jacksonville City Nights” was so enjoyable. The song became a ballad, rather than the pedal steel guitar and piano-heavy original version.

He’s fun to watch. He’ll ramble on to the crowd between tracks and respond to them. I even yelled at one point, “It’s Friday Night, Ryan!” and his response was something along the lines of “Did someone just remind me it’s Friday? Despite, well, look at my T-Shirt. [He was wearing a vintage movie “Friday the 13th” shirt]. But because I suffer from a bit from OCD, it’s great to get these reminders.“

At the end, it was the time to stand and give these guys warranted applause. This was a great show. I still don’t know what my 13-year-old thought of it all.

But I hope I made him a Ryan Adams fan.

Chris Garrod, August 17, 2023

Music, Music Review

Review: GROUPLOVE’s “I Want It All Right Now” carries on their winning ways.

As soon as you put it on, this album screams, “California!!”. Well, the sound of these Los Angelinos, GROUPLOVE, haven’t made a bad record since their inception in 2011, and this, being their sixth album, is an example of why these energetic, 1990s-influenced indie-poppers are so consistent.

They consist of a married couple, Christian Zucconi and Hannah Hooper, who, besides sharing lead vocals, contribute keyboards and rhythm guitar, respectively, include the other original member, lead guitarist Andrew Wessen, and Daniel Gleason on bass since 2014, and drummer Ben Homola who joined in 2017.

GROUPLOVE was the last band I saw live before the pandemic turned the world upside down. It was March 4, 2000, in Camden, London. It was fantastic (well, before the whole ‘world turning to crap’ part.)

“Shark Attack,” March 2020, London

If you want a band with positive energy, meet GROUPLOVE. “I Want It All Right Now” starts with single “All,” where Christian said via DIY magazine it was: “…our way of asking, “Why do we always want something more than what we have?” So many of us are stuck in this perpetual cycle of seeking some type of validation or fulfillment from the outside world when it’s very possible that everything we need already exists within us.” 

The lyrics start: “In my mind, I think I’m gonе. In my mind, I can’t turn off. I wanna have a good time, wanna be fine wine. I want it all right now.”

But then there is a resolution, with Christian determining that what he has is good, he can’t have it all right now. Really, no one can: “I wanna take a long ride with you by my side. I wanna be alright now.” 

It’s the sort of GROUPLOVE song where you initially think, “OH YEAH!!!” but then, there is this introspective end. Hey, think about it.

The album goes from there in such a landslide of fun, demonstrating how they’ve never really changed.

“Cheese” is punky (“Stay close to the cheese. Stay close to all your memories. Don’t worry about me. ‘Cause this is where I wanna be.”), while “Hello” sounds like GROUPLOVE at its finest and most sparkliest. It’s catchy from the first verse.

“Eyes” is another highlight, but one where Christian states that it is: “A song about death. “Eyes” explores the fleeting nature and impermanence of life. If I were to die tomorrow, the only thing that truly matters is that I surround myself with love and give love.” So, so true, Christian.

That may sound heavy. It’s still catchy, though.

“Tryin’” was written by Christian, a neat rocker, with lyrics like: “Help mе fall asleep, yeah. Nothing as tried and true as taking it day by day. Wе are all holding on, but we’re gonna find our way.” Basically, we’re not giving up. Not now. Especially post-pandemic. Certainly, not now.

You can imagine later songs like “Climb” performed live – what’s great about GROUPLOVE is that they make that sound like it’s happening in your kitchen or living room (or wherever). I’ve read it elsewhere, but this is a band to be enjoyed live – though they’ve brought that feeling – that feeling of listening to them live – on your doorstep. Or whatever room you’re listening to this album to.

“I Want It All Right Now” blends in nicely with their discography. If you like dynamic, borderline-Pixie(ish) 1990’s alternative rock music that will make you smile, you must listen to and, if possible, really try to see GROUPLOVE live.

We are getting older. But who cares. Damn, they’re still fun, and this album proves it.

“Wе are all holding on, but we’re gonna find our way.”

We’re not giving up. Not now.

8.0/10

Chris Garrod, August 4, 2023

Music

All my favorite songs are slow or sad.

Being a Weezer fanatic isn’t easy. But it delivers.

(c) Vulture 2020

Start

So it started when I was a college student.

Weezer.

I’ve loved them from their “Blue Album.” Buddy Holly. Say It Ain’t So. Released in May 1994, a year after I finished college.

Then “Pinkerton” a couple of years later. 

Oh, God. I adored it. Across the Sea. The Good Life. I remember ironing my work shirts while singing along to the album. I was working as a trainee law solicitor at the time at a City law firm in London (well-ironed shirts were essential, of course.)

“Pinkerton,” at the time, was critically hated. In a readers poll, Rolling Stone Magazine readers went so far as to declare “Pinkerton” one of the worst albums of 1996.

The “Green Album” followed. A lot of haters, but I liked most of it. The music video of Hash Pipe is still one of my favorites. Did they then go on to produce garbage? Hmmm… well…

After the first three albums… errr…

After that, Weezer became, to me, at least, an actual blur.

I’ve always thought that one of the most challenging (but interesting?) parts of being a Weezer fan is (trying to) reconcile the complexity of the band’s lead singer and primary songwriter, Rivers Cuomo. He presents a paradox – a Harvard-educated rock star oscillating between ironic detachment and sincere emotional outpourings. His lyrical explorations of love, loneliness, and adolescence can be incredibly moving, yet his unpredictable artistic choices can also be bewildering.

Really, really bewildering.

After “The Green Album” came several albums that were just not memorable. Yes, albums with great songs on them (even the critically deplored “Make Believe” has one of my Weezer favorites of all time, Perfect Situation), but this was a time when I couldn’t name the albums in their order of release. 

OK, I think “Raditude” was released before “Hurley,” but don’t test me. 

I’m now skipping past a lot of albums… what? Well, then, in 2016, the “White Album” came out.

And it was great.

The White Album

Great. It’s California, Santa Monica. When a 45-year-old sings “Do you wanna get high?” or “Thank God for Girls,” you know Rivers Cuomo is a 25-year-old living in a 45-year-old body. Rivers often injects his songwriting with a unique blend of humor, nerdy references, and poignant introspection. His storytelling ability and knack for catchy hooks have become vital components of Weezer’s signature sound.

It’s the kind of album that took Weezer back to Weezer. After the “Green Album,” I sensed they became a singles band. Sure, every album had some great songs, but the rest were forgettable.

Following which…

And then a few things happened, which is why being a Weezer fan can be so excruciatingly fun (emphasis: “excruciatingly”). The band’s alternating periods of critical acclaim and harsh criticism have created a roller-coaster experience for fans. While some albums receive widespread acclaim, others get criticized, causing us to wade through a spectrum of public opinion, from overwhelming praise to harsh critique. This dichotomy contributes to the complexity of being a Weezer fan.

They released “Pacific Daydream” and their “Black Album“—both… meh. And out of nowhere, in 2019, dropped the “Teal Album,” which was Rivers just enjoying himself covering Toto (again), A-ha, Tears For Fears, etc. And, yes, TLC’s No Scrubs.

The “Teal Album” is an album that feels like Rivers doesn’t care anymore – he is just having fun doing what he does. But Jesus, it was crap.

But then, holy crapola.

OK Human

In early 2021, out of nowhere, they released “OK Human.”

With 12 tracks spanning just under 40 minutes, “OK Human” showcases Weezer’s willingness to experiment and evolve creatively. Weezer’s decision to work with a full orchestra on “OK Human” pays off significantly. The seamless fusion of classical instruments and rock instrumentation adds an extreme amount of depth and complexity to the songs that sets “OK Human” apart from the band’s previous work.

I love it. It was my favorite album of the year. What the hell was Rivers thinking when making this album? It was the pandemic for sure, but this has now become one of my favorite Weezer albums.

Now

Through all of COVID-19, Weezer kept mentioning the release of “Van Weezer,” a straightforward love album with songs mirroring the 1980s and Van Halen. It was hard-rock(ish). Lively, with shredding guitar solos. But it just lacked cohesion.

But Rivers is productive, and in 2022 Weezer released four EPs titled “SZNZ” (one for each season.). Fun. I mean, really fun. Not “Put them all together, and this is an Album of the Year – hey Pitchfork, what do you think?” But, damn, do they have to be?

Being a Weezer fan is not straightforward; it kind of requires a bit of patience, flexibility, and a genuine appreciation for musical exploration. The band’s unpredictable musical evolution, oscillating critical reception, changing image, and persisting inconsistency contributes to a unique and often challenging fan experience.

Yet, precisely these complexities make being a Weezer fan such a fascinating journey. Fans navigate through various soundscapes, traverse changing perceptions, and evolve alongside the band, ultimately embodying the spirit of Weezer’s audacious musical exploration.

I read somewhere that being a Weezer fan is a “testament to patience, endurance, and an open mind.”

My conclusion: At now 53, Rivers is having a great time. Weezer is having a great time. They love their fans, who love them back and don’t give a f**k.

But thank you for that.

Chris Garrod, July 27, 2023

Weezer – Saturday Night Live Debate

Music, Music Review

Review: First Aid Kit’s Palomino Deluxe (Child of Summer Edition)

The title, “Palomino,” symbolizes freedom, and the Swedish duo sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg demonstrate this… oh so much listening to their fifth, and I think – by far – most enjoyable album.

It’s not for everyone’s taste – indie-folk (hmm… indie-pop?) music isn’t – but they’ve hit the nail on the head with this album, released in November 2022, which completely missed my radar back then, and has now been re-released, adding five extra tracks for the “Child of Summer Edition.” (It’s taken me a while to catch up). 

Unlike other artists, who peg those new tracks to the end of a re-release, I love that they’ve released this with four of the five at the beginning of the album, with their newest single “Everyone’s Got To Learn” leading off the album, with lyrics: “No matter how I’ll try and try. To ease all your pain, you have to feel it all the same.”

The “real” Palomino album doesn’t start until track five, “Out Of My Head,” which entirely shows where this duo is heading. Away from Americana and into indie-pop territory. And it’s fun. “Runnin’ on low, does it matter now? Let me out, out of my mind. Out of my head…“

The album is just entertaining. It isn’t downbeat, despite a five-year hiatus post-pandemic break from their previous album, “Ruins.” 

It remains excellent with “Angel,” “Ready to Run,” and “Turning Onto You.” All of them are great indie-pop songs (and you can add the “Gee. They remind me of Fleetwood Mac” quote here because, yes, THEY DO REMIND ME OF FLEETWOOD MAC, AND WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT?!)

Sorry.

“Angel” is perhaps one of the album’s best and most moving tracks, especially for those with anxiety issues. With lyrics: “So, give me love and give me compassion. Self-forgiveness and give me some passion. I’ll love you even if you don’t love me. I’ll love you, oh, can’t you see you’re free? Oh, angel, can’t you see you’re free?“

I’ll love you, even if you don’t love me… but earlier in the track, “What has that fear ever done for me, but hold me back?” It’s actually joyous to listen to and a release. And yes, they absolutely channel Fleetwood Mac on this track.

And with such beautiful love songs such as “Turning Onto You,” with lyrics such as: “Fell in love with a dream, I guess, but I’m hoping we’ll pass the test. Oh, I can’t help it, I confess. I’m turning onto you.” and then “Fallen Snow” immediately following (“I’m gonna love you ‘Til the moon don’t shine, Oh, I’m gonna love you, ‘Til the waters run dry“).

“We played “Wild Horses” on the car stеreo. You prefer Thе Rolling Stones,’ and I like Gram’s. You know I can’t let you slide through my hands.” They sing on “Wild Horses II,” a great road-trip song.

The standout, “The Last One,” which follows, is so catchy, with the lyric “I want you to be the last one I ever love.” And the sheer pop of “A Feeling That Never Came,” with its rock guitar and instrumental backdrop, is just lovely to hear them sing along with.

This album makes me feel like this is a band completely breaking away from its Americana roots into a new era. And I like it.

I’d encourage you to give First Aid Kit’s “Palomino Deluxe (Child of Summer Edition)” a spin. If I had listened to the original at the end of last year, I’d love to have put it on my Best of 2022 Albums of the Year list.

8.25/10

Chris Garrod, July 14, 2023

Music, Music Review

Review: Caroline Polachek’s ear-opening “Desire, I Want to Turn Into You” is a 2023 indie pop music must-listen.

I love it when I come across an artist I’ve never heard of before and then think, “This is incredible: why?!”

Enter New York City’s Caroline Polachek, whose first album, 2019’s “Pang,” should have been in my collection. (A single from it, “So Hot Your’e Hurting My Feelings,” has almost 90 million listens on Spotify). What was I doing in 2019 to miss it?!!

Her new album, released in February 2023, “Desire, I Want to Turn Into You,” has become one of my favorites so far this year. Let’s start by disclaiming that its lead single, “Bunny Is A Rider,” was Pitchfork’s #1 song of 2021 (yes, I missed that somehow, too.) 

She describes it as “a spicy little summer song about being unavailable,” and with its “whoo-hoos” and whistles and the way it clicks along, it can be a contender for a song of this Summer of 2023.

The opener, and one the best on the album, is the electronic “Welcome To My Island,” where she starts singing after an epic opening wail: “Welcome to my island, see the palm trees wave in the wind. Welcome to my island. Hope you like me, you ain’t leavin’…” It’s fresh, fun, catchy, and contains the inclusion of her trying to play guitar at around 3:10 into the song (she can’t… so the guitar solo is marvelously “dogshit” – her words.) 

Once off the Island, Polachek says how the next track, the Balearic, trip-hoppy “Pretty in Possible,” as being the song she is “most proud of” from the album. It was born from a “cool experiment where Danny [Danny L Harle, her co-writer and producer] and I were like, “OK, let’s write a song that has no verses or choruses – where you just enter the song and flow.” 

“Sunset” is a lovely Flamenco pop song (OK, with this and “Bunny is a Rider,” it’s hard to say what will be played the most around the poolside this summer). “So no regrets, ‘Cause you’re my sunset, fiery red. Forever fearless. And in your arms, a warm horizon. Don’t look back. Let’s ride away, let’s ride away.” It’s the most traditional-sounding song on the album, but that isn’t a knock against it.

And then, everything after is pure art pop bliss. But, so very accessible, your head turns… well, spins.

“Look over the edge, but not too far,” she says at the start and end of the beat-heavy, groovy “I Believe.” The last single from the album “Blood and Butter” carries trippy 1990s electronica harmonies with lyrics, “Let me dive through your face, to the sweetest kind of pain. Call you up. Nothin’ to say. No, I don’t need no entertaining.” You’ll listen to it, love it and then, towards the end, love it even more when the bagpipes kick in. 

Yes. Bagpipes. It’s fantastic.

The final track, “Billions,” is haunting, with a reversed beat, creating an elegant dreamish backdrop for Caroline to sing in.

As Caroline said to The New Yorker in September 2021:

“One day, Harle sent her a beat that he’d written, and Polachek heard a melody out of nowhere, oceanic and potent, and started jotting down psychedelic images: a headless angel, an overflowing cup, a pearl inside an oyster. The beat and the images became the song “Billions.” She told me, “I wanted something that captured the afterglow of a reopening.“

It is a gorgeous song to finish the album, with a lovely choir to end the album: “Oh, I’ve never felt so close to you, I’ve never felt so close to you.”

“Desire, I Want To Turn Into You” is an impressive, fascinating, but more importantly, enjoyable listen. Caroline Polachek’s island isn’t one I will rush to leave any time soon. 

8.5/10

Chris Garrod, July 8, 2023

Music, Music Review

Review: Margo Price stays on track with “Strays”

Nashville country singer-songwriter, Margo Price, continues her streak of great albums with “Strays,” released in January 2023.

I’m not a huge country music fan other than alt-country (think: early Wilco, the Jayhawks or Whiskytown), but I adore Margo Price, with her 2016 debut, “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter,” produced by Jack White’s Third Man Records, being my favorite of that year, so I had high hopes for “Strays.”

Joined by her husband and co-songwriter Jeremy Ivey, Margo went on a (very potent) mushroom trip in the desert and came out with what was less a traditional country album and more an alt-country album. Her voice infuses the songs with Americana, but the album really isn’t.

It’s actually hard to categorize.

The epic six-minute “Country Road” is piano and pedal steel driven, with such vivid storytelling and emotionally resonant themes it harkens back to her earlier work, taking the classic country tradition while infusing it with a contemporary edge. (“I’ve got this joint. Let’s go get high. And shoot a little dice. I’ll pour some gin, you can buy me in, Oh, wouldn’t that be nicе?“) The six minutes disappear before you know it, and it’s one of her finest songs.

From the album’s start, the banger “Right to the Mountain,” her voice is rich and expressive, bringing a blend of vulnerability and strength. 

“I’ve been on food stamps. I’ve been out of my mind. I rolled in dirty dollars, stood in the welfare line. I’ve been a number. I’ve been under attack. I have been to the mountain and back. Alright. Alright.“

Things move into new-wave/indie territory with “Radio,” where Sharon von Etten sings along, which is just fantastic. 

“People try to push me around. Change my face and change my sound. I can’t hear them. I tuned them out. And I turned them way down low. The only thing I have on is the radio.”

The Grammy Award-winning artist’s best songs are the ones with her best lyrics (and I love that last quoted line from “Radio“…. the only thing I have on is the radio…”). Other guests include former Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell, who plays guitar on “Light Me Up,” and Lucius on backing vocals on “Anytime You Call.”

Price’s rootsy “Change of Heart” is all about release. Don’t come running to me (“You’re gonna wake up older, with a hole in your pocket and a blade in your shoulder. Well, if you break both your legs, oh, don’t come runnin’ to me.“)

She’s just basically pissed, and the song is about letting go of her anger, but then… resignation. (“Get down to the end of the line. And it all fell apart. I quit tryin’ to change the past. I had a change of heart, oh. I had a, I had a, I had a……“) And that’s it. That’s just… it.

Her troubled, lost love song, “Time Machine,” is a lovely, poppy ditty, with 70’s California sound producer Jonathan Wilson (Angel Olsen, Father John Misty) who keeps the entire album, I’m be honest from verging into a Fleetwood Mac cover. 

With primarily, “Lydia,” I applaud her for mostly ending the album with such a dark tone.

“Lydia” is just her, with an acoustic guitar and strings.

It’s a lyrically great song, probably one of Margo’s best, about a woman seeking an abortion, unable to raise a baby in the U.S. without health insurance, even more pointed now by the recent overturning of Roe vs. Wade.

Heartbreaking is not even the first word (though it was recorded before the overturning.)

“Just put out the cigarette. Just make a decision, Lydia, just make a decision.

It’s yours.“

I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Whether mushrooms are needed or not.

9.0/10

Chris Garrod, June 30, 2023

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