Everything Old is New

I totally agree with K on the new JET CD. The Raconteurs’ Broken Boy Soldiers is also very familiar. I have been listening to it quite a bit this week and I think it sounds a lot like Jefferson Airplane. Both albums are good but not great.

Judakris saw JET open for Oasis in June of 2005. They sounded terrific and it was a fun show. Even though neither of these albums would make my top ten for the year, I would go see either band if they made an STL appearance. --J

Sam's Town

Here’s my two cents on Sam’s Town. I was more of a Hot Fuss fan than K was. There was a time when I played those first five songs off that CD over and over again. Last year I had made my sister-in-law a mix CD that included a remixed version of Somebody Told Me. She told me that when she put it on the first time, my six year old nephew S broke out into the robot. That’s undeniable power!

If I had to choose between the two, I’d go with Hot Fuss. After months of dismissing it, I do love When You Were Young and I have had For Reasons Unknown on infinite loop this week. The rest of the CD falls kind of flat for me. In a recent interview in Blender, Brandon Flowers compared Sam’s Town to U2’s Achtung Baby or Radiohead’s OK Computer. I appreciate the bravado, but Achtung Baby it ain’t. Now there’s a record where a band took a different approach and ended up with unbelievable results.

I don’t like what’s happening with their stage performance with this record either. I saw them a few weeks ago on Saturday Night Live and it’s as if Brandon Flowers isn’t quite sure what to do with himself. That’s why he needs the keyboards that were used more heavily on Hot Fuss so he doesn’t have to think about body movement. Yes, I am pushing for keyboards! --J

Jet's 'Shine On' Good, not Great

Jet’s sophomore effort Shine On is good, but it’s not a standout piece this fall. It’s an incredibly safe and predictably retro-sounding release on which you’ll often hear the band doing Oasis doing The Beatles.

Not Unfortunate, but not Unexpected either. -K

K's favorites:
Eleanor
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Shine On
Shiny Magazine

The Rolling Stones Mystique

For those of you as intrigued as I am by The Rolling Stones of the late 60’s/early 70’s there are a few things you may want to check out. I just watched a movie last night called Stoned, which is a loosely factual story of Brian Jones’ last days. Was he murdered as his model girlfriend at the time claims? Was there a deathbed confession by the murderer? We will never know I suppose, but the possibility is brought to life in this film. It reminded me quite a bit of The Talented Mr. Ripley with a lot more drugs and full frontal nudity. Don’t see it though if you are looking for a Rolling Stones biopic. The rest of the band is barely in it. The only truly clichéd soundtrack moment in the film is when Brian is dropping acid with Anita Pallenberg to Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit. Is there a law that says that if someone is taking acid on a movie screen, it must be done to this song?

Also, I read an excerpt from a new book in Rolling Stone last month. It’s called Exile on Main Street: A Season in Hell with the Rolling Stones by Robert Greenfield. From what I read in the excerpt and a review, it's the behind the music filled with drama, drugs, and sex. I can’t wait to read it! --J

Cheetah!

October 1st, and I am heading to the Fabulous Fox Theatre, to take A. and her best friend to see Everlife/Hannah Montana/The Cheetah Girls. I joked with a friend that I was going to take some knitting with me. I should have.

The tickets were A’s birthday present from us. The most bittersweet thing about the show was that I would finally get to see something at the Fox Theatre. Last year I had to give up my ticket to see the White Stripes with K at that beautiful venue due to a business trip and I’m still holding a grudge. I thought it would be a good first concert experience for A., since there was no chance of simulated sex or anyone yelling “fuck” at a Disney show.

For those of you who do not have a “tween” girl, I’ll give you some background. I don’t know much about Everlife except that the Christian band is made up of three sisters and a guy drummer. They did sing “Real Wild Child”, the only song I recognized, which brings to mind Jerry Lee Lewis or Iggy Pop, not Christian pop.

The big draw for A. and her friend was the second act, Hannah Montana. Hannah Montana is not a real person, but a television character from the Disney show of the same name. In the show, Miley Stuart is your average teenage girl living in Southern California, who unbeknownst to her friends, is also a mega-popular singing star that they all adore. How does she keep up this double life? It is of course all possible because her alter-ego has blonde hair and at school Miley is a brunette. Hannah is played by Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray’s teenage daughter. If you have to stomach a Disney sitcom, this one is palatable, mostly because Billy Ray plays Miley’s father on the show and regularly makes fun of his past musical past. Even on the show, Billy Ray is a former country heartthrob with a killer mullet. I know it is way confusing, father and daughter in real life and father and daughter on television.

On Sunday, the crowd went wild when Hannah took the stage. The poor thing was having a bout of stomach flu and had to leave the stage a few times but got through her set.

The concert was sold out, with a venue capacity of 4,500. When I looked around the crowd, I truly think I could have counted about twenty or twenty-five dads, and no other male attendees. I don’t think I have ever been in a room with that many females in all of my life. Who said The Lillith Fair is dead?

Finally, the main attraction, The Cheetah Girls took the stage. It was a high energy performance with lots of choreography, but I couldn’t get past the fact that both Hannah Montana and The Cheetah Girls’ sets were both void of any musicians with real instruments. Instead, they sang to a music track and what sounded like a vocal track was included as well. But by the audience's high-pitched squeals at an unimaginable volume, I must have been the only one concerned by this.

After the show, A. and her friend wanted to try and meet their idols so we waited around. A. and her friend got to shake Miley Cyrus’ hand. The Cheetah Girls were too busy to come out. The legion of fans waiting at the stage door was pretty daunting. It would have taken them forever to sign all of the autographs, etc. Standing with fans after a show, this was the most aggressive group I have ever encountered. Forget the kids, the moms were going to demand attention for their girls. One of the moms said sternly, “They better come out! They’re only popular because we buy all of their stuff!” That attitude made me want to leave. A.and her friend had a wonderful time, but I know that A. is more excited about the Panic! at the Disco show I’ll be taking her to next month with cousin D. I probably won’t be tempted to check my email through that show. --J

Mischa

Check out the corpse paint on my family’s latest addition, Mischa.


I can’t help but think of this dude called Abbath from the Norwegian Black Metal band Immortal. He's the guy on the left...


Sing metal, Olaf.
-K

Sam's Town- The Killers

I saw The Killers perform at Mississippi Nights when I first moved to St. Louis in 2004. I saw them again at The Pageant last year because J and co. were into seeing them and I thought it would be a fun night out. I am not a hardcore fan and never have been. Hot Fuss was good fun, but unless there’s an emotional tie-in for me (ok, and sometimes if the lead singer is exceptionally hot) I don’t stay around that long before something else grabs my attention. The band and their cd didn’t meet the criteria (though Brandon’s voice is incredibly sexy) so as the band achieved worldwide acclaim from fans and critics I took note but didn’t save the articles for my scrapbook.

This summer there was a lot of buzz about the sophomore effort that was to be released in the fall of 2006. You could not escape the “Bruce Springsteen influence” references in each and every early article or review. This seemed like such an unexpected influence that I admit I was curious. Then, after hearing “When You Were Young” and the revelation that I WAS IN LOVE WITH THIS SONG, I admitted to myself that I would purchase this album as soon as I could. Sam's Town was released this week and I indeed purchased it.

Make no mistake there is a heavy Bruce Springsteen influence on this cd. But, instead of a blatant rip-off, they do it right by borrowing the spirit of singing about open roads and hopeful hearts while (mostly) maintaining their own familiar sound. Besides hearing familiar E Street Band instrumental and choral arrangements, you hear a lead singer who has captured Bruce’s ability to be fragile without sounding like it. It’s evident on this cd that some life has been lived and I am so on board with that. Well done, boys.

I can’t believe I’m listening to The Killers again and enjoying it on such a different level. For this, I give it an UNEXPECTED. -K

P.S.
Incidentally, Sam’s Town is an off-strip casino/hotel in Vegas.

To me, the top half of the cd hits the ground running. The rest I came to like after a few more listens.

K’s favorites:
Sam’s Town
When You Were Young
For Reasons Unknown (probably my favorite right now)
Read My Mind
Why Do I Keep Counting?

Veruca Salt at Pop's - September 25, 2006

Judakris headed across the Mighty Missisip to see Veruca Salt Monday night at Pop’s. I haven’t listened to them in awhile but was a fan of Eight Arms to Hold You, and American Thighs. The ticket price was right—five bucks. K initially didn’t want to go but agreed to attend in the end. A couple of non-musical reasons also prompted us. Louise Post is from St. Louis and after the Living Things debacle, we were curious to see another hometown hero take the stage. Also, this is the chick that inspired Dave Grohl to write Everlong? Yes, I had to see her. It’s gonna be increasingly ironic that I’m going to check out a girl as this post continues…

So we walk into Pop’s after the first band, Bitch Slap Barbie, has performed. Almost immediately I’m getting a vibe in the club. Now Pop’s always reminds me of the bar in the Patrick Swayze classic, Road House (classic for how bad it is). When I walk in to Pop’s, I’m always expecting to see a bunch of rednecks with big hair and Dalton the bouncer keepin’ the peace. This of course never is the case, but I was especially taken off guard by the crowd on Monday. There were a lot of lesbian couples, A LOT. Of course there were a good number of straight guys standing around as well. As we were standing there listening to the second band, two attractive gals were heavy making out. K leaned over and said, “Don’t you know these straight guys are going ‘Hell yeah!’”. Hahaha It was unexpected.

Next up after Bitch Slap Barbie, The Strays took the stage. They were okay, but I did not see anything there that separated them from the pack. They were trying to be The Clash and their look, especially the hair, seemed very important. The third band, Agent Sparks, made us angry. One of the singers was female with this STUPID outfit on. It was one of those bands that you just know only white college kids would like because they’re “different”. Yuck! I could go on and on but I won’t. We had to just walk away after awhile because they were pissing us off.

As for Veruca Salt, they put on an awesome show. Louise was glad to be home with her mom and other friends and family in the audience. They played some songs off of their new album, IV, but also played all of the hits off of the early records. I know in the past I’ve been critical of the female performer but I walked away with nothing but respect for a woman who does it right. She is feminine but you also kinda get the impression that if she had a few, she’d probably kick your ass. I was curious how they would be without Nina Gordon, one of the other founding members, but they didn’t miss a beat. It was unexpected how much I enjoyed this show. --J

Here’s the setlist with some of my favorites highlighted:

So Weird
Don't Make Me Prove It
Centipede
Spiderman '79
Volcano Girls
Innocent
Shutterbug
Save You
Born Entertainer
Blissful Queen
Victrola
Closer
Straight
Sick As Your Secrets

Encore:
One Last Time
Seether
Hellraiser

Beyonce- Ring The Alarm Parody

This video was mentioned on this week's Best Week Ever. This queen has perfectly captured the spirit of Beyonce in this video. -K

Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSound

This record has a few standout tracks but while I listened to it, either I’m not the intended audience, or there’s just a lot of slow to medium tempo filler on this record.

Track 1 - Futuresex/Lovesound – Love this song.

Track 2 – Sexyback – Yes, I admit it. It’s a regular on my iPod, especially when working out.

Track 4 – My Love – This is where I begin to wonder if I am just not getting contemporary R&B music. I like the track but could do with out the rap interlude from T.I. Why must we have a rap in the middle of a song?!

Track 8 – Damn Girl – If the rap by that asshole from the Black Eye Peas wasn’t in it, I would love this song. The horns and keyboards give it a classic R&B vibe.

Track 11 – Losing My Way – Really Justin, we need a cautionary tale in the form of a song? If I want to hear about addiction, I’ll tune in to an episode of A&E’s Intervention.

Track 13 – (Another Song) All Over – This track is the only one on the CD that was produced by Rick Rubin and it does sound different. It is one of my favorite tracks on the record because it is simple in its arrangement and showcases Justin’s voice. It’s a makeup song in the best way.

I would rate this an unfortunate because there’s a lot of filler on this CD. However, I would recommend downloading tracks one, two, and twelve to hear Justin at his best, and then go out and buy Prince’s Dirty Mind and 1999 if you don’t already own them. --J

Which is worse?

The scene of the crime was a suburban St. Louis middle school, Friday, September 15th, 2006. A., a sixth grader and novice to the ways of the school dance, attends her first. Streamers were hung in the gymnasium, and the substitute teacher/DJ begins to spin some tunes. What’s the next song on the playlist? “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies” by Panic! at the Disco, and before Brendan Urie can sing his second “Goddamned”, Principal M. as A. explains it, “shuts it down”. As they drive her home from the dance, A’s parents curiously ask what other songs were played throughout the night. The big hit was “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake. So are we to believe that "Goddamned” is worse than "I'll let you whip me if I misbehave"? I am glad not to have to be the judge. Play them all. --J

What the hell?

Thank God for YouTube! I heard about this on E's show The Soup. Wow. --J

Muse at The Pageant - September 14, 2006

Judakris spent an evening with Muse on September 14, 2006. I love J's review of this show, but wanted to add my two cents!

The opening band was an all-girl group called The Like. It’s not that I think girls can’t rock or that they write shitty music. I think I would have to write off anyone who ever said that Joan Jett or Brody Dalle (The Distillers) don’t fucking rock. But, like The Strokes (who I saw back when they exploded in MS back in early 2002), opening band The Like consists of well-to-do kids that know how to write a few catchy tunes but leave much in regards to true substance or long-term engagement. One of them is the daughter of a former Geffen Records A&R man/record producer. Wow, what a surprise they are signed with Geffen records. As I watched them awkwardly dilly dally through their set, I didn’t see any signs that this was a genuine band that has suffered for its art. They probably don’t know what it’s like to not shower for three days, or barely be able to scrape together enough money to purchase one beer (though your management back home may be celebrating the fact that you have gone gold). There’s no hunger here, just some girls who thought this might be fun and wear some boho outfits (because they’re musical gypsies). So how exactly are you girls going to prove yourself to J and me? Oh, by skipping off the stage. Right.

As the stage was getting cleared for the headliners of the evening, I didn’t have any of the anxieties I sometimes have. For instance, I didn’t worry that I couldn’t see the stage completely. You don’t need to with Muse. Unlike AFI, whose music is overshadowed by the stage spectacle, Muse’s music is the most impressive part of the band. Onstage they practice a kind of performance pragmatism and subtlety and stay away from unnecessary hairdos or false eyelashes. I also didn’t worry that there would be technical mishaps. For some reason, I have complete faith that these guys are completely Type-A when it comes to preparation. I also didn’t feel as though there were any social walls within the audience. What I mean by this is, despite the fact that it was an extremely diverse crowd everyone seemed to be on a single musical course that night. That always makes the overall experience pretty enjoyable. I felt as if I could talk to Jock guy to my left, Comic-Con guy to my right and walk away feeling as though we were on the same page.

What struck me was the live projection of the band behind them on the backdrop. This gave you the feeling that you were in an arena and looking up at a jumbotron. From the light show that swirled around the entire venue covering each audience member to the fact that every single space in the place was filled with multi-layered sound, I felt more like a participant in this musical journey than a spectator.

These boys have been on tour for years, but the lead singer Matt is able to launch into a soaring falsetto with no vocal potholes whatsoever. He’s agile, too. He seamlessly moves from guitar to piano and back again- all the while singing his heart out. It’s extraordinary to observe.

Like J, I didn’t really think about Muse being categorized as prog rock although it’s completely logical. To me, though, Muse has always just been Muse, not part of any larger scheme or genre. They write dense, multi-layered, sophisticated material that can easily stay with you whether you want it to or not! However, because of its richness, I tend to only be able to consume a little at a time. What is true is that at the end of this performance I was left wanting more. Because of this I rate this show an Unbelievable. -K

Their setlist is posted here.

Muse in St. Louis

Last week judakris went to see Muse at The Pageant in St. Louis. The opening band was an all- girl group called The Like. I hate to knock my sex but I don’t want to see a girl band, especially one who I guess attempts to be ironic by uglying themselves up. Next! At one point in their set the lead singer/guitarist looked at her rhythm section and asked “What?” looking slightly paranoid, while the other two just smiled a bitchy smile and the bassist mouthed, “Nothing”. I suddenly felt like I was in a high school bathroom watching mean girls interact. Guy bands don’t do that. Oh, and they skipped off the stage. No, that is not a typo. As K lit a cigarette, she said to me, “Hey, if we ever have a band, we’re not skipping off the stage”. I simply responded, “I don’t skip”. Anyway, the music wasn’t bad but I think it says a lot that I was paying more attention to the clothes and the band interaction. Ilove The Like’s website design way more than the music.

As for Muse, they sounded great and did not disappoint. Our friend M attended as well and he had already seen Muse this summer in Chicago. I asked him before the show what kind of audience to expect and he gave a one word response – “Comic-con”. I don’t know much about prog rock. I know so little that I didn’t even know Muse was classified as prog rock until I read it in a magazine. So prog rock is the thinking man’s music? As we were walking up to The Pageant, I said to M, “Oh, I get it. I just saw a Rose Hulman t-shirt”. He laughed and said yes, exactly. However, when we got inside, M said that the audience was a lot more diverse than the crowd in Chicago.

K and M are bigger Muse fans than me and can reel off the night's setlist. I can only tell you that Muse played my three favorite songs— Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, and Stockholm Syndrome. A little Muse goes a long way with me. There’s just a lot going on in their music, including a heavy vibrato. It didn’t help that as they walked on the stage, K leaned over to me and said how much the lead singer reminds her of this pain in the ass that we work with. I couldn’t get the image of that pain in the ass out of my mind for the rest of the night! The crowd loved them and all the superfans were out in full force. Even if it isn’t my favorite band, it is always fun to watch others having a most incredible night. --J

I don't have a name for this post

I had to get up at 4:30 this morning to catch a plane home. Home, home, home. While I was on a business trip this week my plan was to give The Raconteurs and Justin Timberlake’s new CD a thorough listen and rate them. However, Hertz messed up my rental car reservation and to make up for it, I got an upgraded car with Sirius satellite radio. I spent the entire week listening to Howard Stern instead. I’ve never been on a trip where I looked for excuses to spend time in the car. It’s like crack.

Getting back to Justin Timberlake, I was telling our friend M that my daughter A. and I watched Justin on TRL on MTV right before the new record was released. Did M ask about the TRL appearance? No, instead he said, “Wow, that age gap between you and A. is shrinking by the moment, isn’t it?” Hahaha, yes, I admit it, in about three years, she and I will mentally be the same age. Anyway, on TRL, Justin stated that he was influenced by early Prince on this record. I had to give it a listen after hearing that since I love early Prince. From my initial listening of the record all I can say is, not influenced enough JT! Justin also joked that he is a little tired of people coming up to him mentioning him “bringing SexyBack”. Justin, I apologize. That trend probably started with the judakris readers. Our influence is astounding.

When judakris were batting around the idea of a rating system, the first rating category I recommended was “unnecessary” I guess because I’m such a critical bitch. So, I feel the need to comment on some unnecessary music out there.

Beyonce – Please go away! From “Check on It” to “Ring the Alarm”, I can’t stand your off-key voice and your stupid rhyming/cadence.

Evanescence – Amy Lee, I read your Spin interview. We get it. You’re dark and moody in that very corporate way. Your music rates an “unnecessary” in my book.

Nickelback - really? Still selling records? Does it get any more mediocre than this?

Anyone reading judakris.com knows that we can't stand Pete Wentz. Not only do we have to see his stupid open-mouthed expression in the Gap ads but we get to see his nipple too! He is assaulting us again in Spin magazine talking about Fall Out Boy's follow-up record due out in 2007. He states, "Grabbing the fucking Rod Stewart-hair-and-white belt credibility isn't interesting to us". What does that mean? I have no idea. All I know is that he looked like a civil war re-enactor at the VMAs this year sporting a gray cape. I didn't realize that the Robert E. Lee look was hip again.

As for unexpected, I’m gonna recommend The Killers’ single, “When You Were Young”. I didn’t like it at first for its obvious homage to Bruce Springsteen, but it has grown on me in a big way. I confessed this to K last week at the Muse concert and she said she was into it now too.

More on the Muse show in a future post. –J