Great Song: The Cranberries' "Dreams"

I just felt like posting this little comment. It's probably the basis for most of my life choices. Not actually. . . Dreams is catch as hell, and I dig the chill-out style. Remember 90s limerick pop music. That is all.

-Diner

Album Review: Free Energy's Stuck On Nothing

You know that feeling you get when you finish taking a colossal dump? Its the same feeling you get when you finish listening to Free Energy's "Stuck On Nothing". You feel relieved, nostalgic, slightly lighter, and glad to get that shit over with. Seriously. Who do Free Energy think they are? Think of every cliche rock progression you know and I guarantee its a track on "Stuck On Nothing". You would think that someone in the band might have said "Hey, Im not sure we should use that progression because its been done so many times before" or maybe "Hey, shouldn't we be more original with our riffs?", but no. Just no.

Diner says Free Energy is like arena rock revival and I agree with him. What better way to fill an arena than with major power chords? Its happy shit. Only question is how to amplify a cowbell to fill the xcel. Unfortunately for Free Energy, the xcel was already booked so they're going to have to settle for the the triple rock on friday April 23.

Although there are a lot of "bads" about Free Energy, there are a few bright spots on "Stuck On Nothing". The lyrics aren't bad, they're actually pretty memorable. These guys are singing about the same things Bruce Springsteen was years ago, escapism, the American dream, and girls. The song "Free Energy" is catchy as hell, and the message is tempting. When the cowbell is blaring quarters and the lyrics are "We're breaking out this time/Makin out with the wind/I'm so disconnected/ Im never gonna check back in" you just wanna be going fast in a car, or bike, or in some other medium of moving quickly. The point is, its not all bad. I'd like to go back to my colossal dump comparison. No matter how glad you are to have taken that dump, you are still connected with it. Give "Free Energy" a listen and you will understand.

This has been a review.

-Heiner

Despite Gear Problems Surfer Blood Prevails!

I got to the entry just in time to wait around for two hours before the first band came on. This irked me because I had really hustled over to minneapolis after awakening from a mega nap which left me groggy and disoriented. I was propped up by the seating along the entry's back wall stuck between a conversation about lacrosse and an older guy desperately trying to impress his would-be girlfriend with his knowledge of the "indie" music scene. The frontman from turbo fruits and his mustache kept pacing back and forth through the entry with various alcoholic beverages and was unsuccessfully running the merch table at one point. There was quite a bit of waiting.

I was overjoyed when a guy in drainpipes paired with a johnny ramone-esque haircut took the stage. He was later followed by a troupe of musicians who looked as if they had all been plucked from different high-school clicks and were forcibly put together in a band by a disgruntled music teacher. The anonymous band had some good moments when two of the three guitarists played simultaneous major riffs resulting in a cool stereo effect. This effect was highlighted when one of the guitar players would break off in harmony. The entire sound was very pavement-esque (vocals included). I was going to buy an album at the end of the show but all the disks were gone, so maybe some other people came to a similar conclusion as me despite the mystery band's obvious nervousness.

By the time Turbo Fruits took the stage, the frontman was entirely wasted. The crowd egged him on as he downed a super-sized heinekin, and the bass player chuckled at his bandmate's antics. Playing music drunk is a skill, and in that sense turbo fruits had a lot of skill. "This song kinda sucks" says Stein as he leads the band into their first song "Broadzilla". This band has energy to burn, and despite being glassy-eyed and mumblish, Stein managed to wail. I mean wail. This guy has some serious lead chops, and would make any power trio proud. The Turbo Fruit sound is loud, fast, and fairly "punk". After ripping through their set, Stein spilled his beer all over the stage and proceeded to pick up the bottle, empty the remaining contents into his mouth, and spit the mystery brew all over the unsuspecting audience. I was in the front row, and was thus covered in beer and spit.

Surfer Blood went on around midnight due to technical troubles that just didn't see to subside. All the members of this band look like they shouldn't be able to drink, and its always interesting putting faces to the music. The sound guy must not have listened to astro coast, because the reverb and vocal mix was way off the mark. The frontman explained that the band was "frazzled" after a nightmare 30 hour drive. Despite an interesting mix and a hellish drive, Surfer Blood jumped into "floating vibes" with the tightness of a band beyond their years. The crowd was loving every cowbell hit of take it easy, and the guitar sound was spot on. The lead guitar player went through three guitars in an hour: first breaking a string on his tele, then breaking the output jack on his strat, and finally settling on the turbo fruits' schecter. He ended having problems with his pedals later in the set, and the whole ordeal was obviously making him very frustrated. However, the band managed to swim to the end of their set, all the while depending on their faulty gear.The bass player broke a saddle off of his bridge which landed in my hands. I gave it back to him after the show and was rewarded with a sweet T-shirt! The crowd begged for an encore, and the frontman came out to explain that all their gear was broken, even so, he stayed and played a few covers by his lonesome. This band's perseverance resulted in a great show and a great time. We should all be giddy for Surfer Blood's sophmore release.

LISTEN TO ASTRO COAST.

-Heiner

Blast From The Past Review: The Pretty Things- "S.F. Sorrow"

I first stumbled upon The Pretty Things while I was bored out of my mind looking through my friend's music collection for cool album covers. When I came to S.F. Sorrow, I put it in the "I'll check this out to see if the music is as cool as the cover" pile. What I didn't know, was that I had inadvertently discovered a gem. We have all come across them, an album you weren't sure about turning into your latest obsession. S.F. Sorrow is a diamond in the rough, and came from a band who were once commissioned to write and record an album for a French millionaire for his own personal use.

The album was recorded in 1968 at Abbey Road at the same time the beatles cranked out their white album. The intense 3 and 4 part harmonies in "Bracelets on Fingers" share similar compression and right panned stereo mixing with tracks like "Happiness is a Warm Gun" off of the White album. Coincidence? HELL NAW. S.F. Sorrow is a rock opera (which came out before the who's "tommy"), and the story is pretty damn depressing. Why are rock operas always so depressing? Just because. The album follows the life of S.F. Sorrow, who is one messed up mofo. Psychedelic drug induced wah-wah guitar riffs play behind the lush intricacy of a choir of voices creating a rich warm blend of sound tracking Sorrow through his very depressing life.

Sorrow has to work in a "misery factory" at a very young age, but finds true love as he reaches adolescence in "She says good morning". This tune is surprisingly heavy and is reminiscent of Revolver-era Beatles. I stand by that comparison. Unfortunately for Sorrow, he is drafted into world war one. He miraculously escapes death, but when his lover comes to visit him after the war, the zeppelin she is in ignites and everyone aboard dies. Life continues to suck for our dear Sorrow, as ambient noise, feedback, and a sitar lead him through deep depression in "Death". It is important to note that at this point the album isn't half way done... Its cool though, because Sorrow discovers black magic (Its 1968 remember?). This storyline is significant in creating a cohesive focused album that flows nicely. Sorrow's story is patched together into a neat and unified package.

A side note: Someone should totally sample the drum groove at 1:41 of Baron Saturday, wink wink Just Wulf.... That shit is the shit.

In conclusion, if a 60's british rock opera is your cup of tea (<-cleverness), then pick up S.F. Sorrow. It's really not THAT depressing. The tunes tend to be upbeat, and the lyrics can be very "out there", so you probably won't know whats going on anyway.

This has been a blast from the past.
-Heiner

Album Review: The Wild Hunt by The Tallest Man on Earth

The Tallest Man on Earth -- Kristian Mattson, who is actually around 5'8"-- made a splash with his first full length, Shallow Grave, which was released in 2008. He gained acclaim for his heavily Delta blues-influenced finger-picking and his colorfully metaphorical lyrics.

Mattson sticks to a few themes, lyrically, those being: weather, changing seasons, animals, and dreams, which might look tacky on paper, but which he keeps interesting and intriguing. Lyrics such as, '. . . boiled the curtains to extract the drugs of springtime", leave room for interpretation.

The Wild Hunt starts off with a strong title track. However, from the beginning, it is evident he has tweaked his sound. For starters, the song includes two instrumental parts, a banjo and a guitar. This may seem insignificant, but it is a far cry Shallow Grave where each song had just one instrumental line.

The lyrics shift slightly as well. Although he sticks to his choice themes, his lyrics are slightly more. . . accessible. They speak of leaving and the "wild hunt". This sets the tone for the whole album.

What's evident by the 4th song or so, is that this album, intentionally or not, is something of a concept album. It starts of with a character pursuing his dreams with conviction. He is saying, "I'm running free, so don't expect me to call." From there, the tone becomes more hopeful, but also more melancholy. The theme of dreams still holds, but the dreams are more hopeful of a better tomorrow, as opposed to fantastical aspirations.

By the fifth track, Drying of the Lawns, these dreams are crumbling. The character's lover tells him she's leaving because ". . . you don't feel what you're dreaming of." Their life is dull, likened to drying of the lawns. The next song, King of Spain, is a triumphant retort. The character asks his lover, "why are you stamping my illusion?"

In stark contrast, the following song is a low moment for the character, claiming he "doesn't dream anymore". He goes on to say, "I said I could rise from the harness of our goals. . ."

From here, the story arc becomes less lucid. Thousand Ways seems like something of an homage to a classic folk theme, the cycle of time. Lyrics speak of living through ". . . a thousand wakes of springtime". Thousand Ways, coupled with the final two songs on the album, illustrate the character in old age. A Lion's Heart describes the character looking on a kid being invigorated by life and dreams just as he once was.

In the final song, Kids on the Run, Kristian Mattson takes a completely unexpected turn. He abandons his mainstay guitar and banjo for a warm piano. This is a last introspection, where the character takes a walk through his life and proclaims to his lover, ". . .we're still kids on the run."

This release shows us that Matsson can write beautiful songs as well as strong, conceptual albums. In an age when singles on itunes are becoming more prominent than strong albums, he manages to walk the line, writing infectious songs such as King of Spain, while still keeping singular songs as part of the whole. The ground that Mattson is trodding is not new, not even to him. However, his continued ability to expand his sound and surprise us is commendable. As sophomore releases go, this is strong and speaks to a bright future.

Download

If you like it, buy it: Buy

myspace: If you like him, see him perform

Wikipedia

Last.fm

-Diner

Spoon and Deerhunter shake down First Avenue on its 40th birthday

As Micachu took the stage, I was finishing a transaction which left me with a very vibrant Deerhunter shirt. I was so pleased with my purchase that I didn't hear the growing feedback behind me. At first I was unaware that the music had started, because the old 60s teisco guitar appeared to be on the verge of exploding, and I was under the impression that there was in fact a technical difficulty and not an intro to a song. I was kicking myself for breaking the Dan rule and not checking out Micachu and the shapes beforehand, so I was completely clueless as to their sound. With a synth, a modified acoustic guitar, and a plethora of cowbells, Micachu drenched the mainroom in a blanket of noise, snarls, and intensity. "This is a song about suicide" she croons. The series of tempo changes and clever percussion tricks that ensued made for interesting arrangements and powerful tacks, but there is a reason Micachu and the shapes opened the show.

The crowd was fairly unresponsive when the voice of Bradford Cox appeared behind the curtain which soon began to rise. Nevertheless Deerhunter commanded the stage and ripped through favorites off of Weird Era and Microcastle. The relentless slapback guitar echo paired with a driving beat and the reverb soaked voice of Cox recreated the trademark Deerhunter sound perfectly. About halfway through the set Cox explained that his guitar was really loud because he had just had his amp fixed. "Its like a horny teenager in a chat room" chuckled Cox. Deerhunter acknowledged its inability to connect with a lot of attendees who had presumably come to see Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga-era Spoon and went on to thank the audience for being polite. There were only a handful of kids getting into Deerhunter, and the rest of the crowd seemed to be awkwardly watching a select few rock out.

Britt Daniel and co opened up their set with a track off Transference in a cluster of softly glowing lightbulbs. To my amazement the audience reaction was minimal. Playing to a tough crowd is one thing, but Daniel even made the remark that the audience seemed smaller than the previous night. The unfazed Spoon rocked a good mix of tunes from the past and present, but it were the tracks from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga that finally got the audience into it. You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb brought the house down, and Don't Me A Target followed suit. Spoon has got to be one of the tightest bands around. They didn't miss a beat, and despite some new members Spoon looked comfortable and the resulting sound was crisp and well rehearsed. The second encore was the Underdog, which despite the lack of horns was just dazzling. The audience was groovin and Daniel was smiling. It was the perfect way to celebrate First Avenue's 40th, because after 40 years even the underdog can be on top.

-Heiner

WELCOME

The Tom-Tom Club is a music and concert review blog operated by self-proclaimed music enthusiasts Heiner & Diner, who wish to share their musical opinions and experiences with the masses. Although writing a music review blog is highly pretentious, it is equally fun. So put aside your doubts as we explore and examine the wonderful new music of today as well as classic gems from the past. We will write several reviews a week, so check back every once in a while if you want to get on the scene like a sex machine. We will also do a feature review of the album of the week (chosen by us), as well as a weekly look into albums from years gone by with our "blast from the past" review. There will also be the occasional concert review! So... Yeah. Let's see how this goes.