Grunge without the whine

Pixies- Doolittle

This is the portion of Euterpe when we talk about music from the past, because there are a lot of albums out there that a) are by non-famous bands that are really good or b) are by famous bands, but may not be their best known stuff. And both of these deserve their chance in the light. I came up with the idea for this segment while listening to Doolittle by the Pixies, and frantically called Matt proclaiming what a genius I was, and though I couldn’t see it I could tell he was rolling his eyes. Nevertheless, these are going to be good albums.

So why not start with the album I was listening to, Doolittle. With the Pixies halfway back in the spotlight after breakups and drama and solo albums, their past work has been evaluated by critics and fans alike. The consensus as to best album? Surfer Rosa. They revamp “Vamos” from Come on Pilgrim into an upbeat, grungy classic, and Black Francis completely kicks Kurt Kobain out of the water with his gravelly yell. Maybe it’s because I was never a huge fan of grunge that I happen to prefer the refined dirt of Doolittle.

It kicks right off with the bass then jangly guitars then nonsensical lyrics that defined the Pixies. No one may be able to understand what “slicing up eyeballs/ I want you to know” means, but at least we know, and can sing along without caring. And of course there is the classic “Here Comes Your Man.” The reason why this song wasn’t a hit is beyond me. My personal favorite is “Hey,” a bass and syncopation fueled slow number. Sure it talks about whores showing up in the man’s bed, but ditching his shriek for softer vocals, Black Francis coos “if you go I will surely die/ We’re chained.” I can’t think of a more fundamentally romantic (if slightly twisted) sentiment.

The difference with this album is that it put a much needed lightheartedness into a grungy world. They weren’t grunge, but they were an inspiration to the Pearl Jams and Sonic Youth’s that would follow. Maybe they were ahead of their time. They were too weird and not whiny enough to be grunge, but they stood the test of time and now deserve to be known for more than just one classic album. And so I say unto you, go! Listen! And just try to get “Monkey Gone to Heaven” out of your head.

Midwest blues

The Black Keys- Magic Potion

After 4 albums The Black Keys have clearly proven that two white boys from Ohio can sing the blues, but I still get confused every time I listen to them. Putting on Magic Potion was no different. From the start of “Just Got To Be,” they show their mastery of dirty feedback and vocals that should be coming from an old black man sitting on the corner with 38 cents and an old receipt in his guitar case in front of him. The difference about this Nonesuch Records debut from their older albums is the calculation behind it. These aren’t just two buddies jamming in their basement, this is an album with a purpose. They don’t want to sing the same old song anymore, and their electric blues morphs into something harder than they’ve done before.

Not to say that they’re moving away from the blues. From the smooth, soulful solo at the beginning of “The Flame” you can feel heartache, even if you can’t understand the lyrics. But there are points of expansion, such as the Zeppelin-esque “Modern Times,” whose headbanging intro and hard hitting guitar make good use of the distortion. And the rocky “Strange Desire” is complete with muted power chords and evokes The Doors with a chorus of “My heart’s on fire/ with a strange desire.” Sung with such passion, what lovelorn groupie wouldn’t immediately believe them? Maybe in the future they’ll move to grander rock anthems, or maybe they’ll stick with what they’ve got, but they figured out how to stay true to their music while giving themselves a little room to try things out.

Monty Are I @ House of Blues New Orleans

Up some musty stairs, past posters and graffiti and teenagers with rainbow belts and spikes on their wrists lies The Parish, grungy cousin to the House of Blues in New Orleans. Perfect place for this Rhode Island band to play, as they may not have the fanbase yet to fill the main hall. I say “yet” because from the reaction of the crowd, next time they come around they probably would be able to. Opening for Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (who I would write about but I don’t want to be redundant), Monty Are I had complete control over the southern kids. I would have expected MAI (formerly Monty, formerly Monty’s Fan Club) to be out of their element so far from home. I’ve seen them before in local settings, where fans were singing along to songs that hadn’t ever been recorded. Here maybe three people had even heard of their old favorite “Hearts Bleeding.” It didn’t matter, because whether for the first time or for the 5^th, everyone loved them.

And for good reason too. It’s not like they were just a warm up opening act. They were a good show all on their own. With keyboard loops, horn solos, metal guitar riffs and a lot of jumping, they caught everyone’s attention. Sometimes the noise got too much. The clarity that they have on all their albums got lost over the noise of the crowd and the fact that they have all those loops and solos going on at once, especially in songs like "Castle Bound". But they had energy, and they have a great sound that even at the most confusing moments was original and progressive and all around kickass. They came around to the casual sex anthem "Between the Sheets" and every sixteen year old in there could immediately relate, at least on the level of making out in the back of cars. And I’m sure their playful stage banter and good hair didn’t hurt their popularity either. The flock of kids to the merch booth for autographs and CD's after the show most definitely shows the next time they’re down in NOLA they’ll have a newly formed army of street-teamers to spread the word.

P.S. There were no cameras allowed, so alas there are no pictures. Also, we're going to try to keep this thing more regularly updated. Maybe once every week and a half/two weeks. Thanks for reading folks! Buy American!