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No Doubt Sleep Train Pavilion review

July 22, 2009

This is a transcript for Episode 1097. I never make them, and in fact I have not even recorded it yet. I’ll be reading this off the screen. Insert Barack Obama TelePrompTer joke here. But I have been invited to write a 200-word review of tonight’s show in Concord for Spinning Platters, so I figure I might as well make the review a transcript of an episode. Aren’t I a genius?

It’s the Joel Shit Show, featuring Joel Shit! Hi, welcome to the Joel Shit Show. I’m your host, Joel Shit. So yesterday I went to the Concord Pavilion, er, the Chronicle Pavilion, er, Sleep Train Pavilion to see No Doubt, Paramore and The Sounds. There was a promotion with State Farm in which I could play Rock Band, and if my band did the best rendition of “Spiderwebs,” then we’d win free upgrades to VIP seats, which were likely available because they charged too much for them in the first place. We did not win. Some kids played on Expert and got more than 800,000 points, and we were no match for that. We tried twice, both with me on drums. Whether I was on medium or hard it did not really matter. We got about 570,000 points both times.

And then some other stuff happened. And No Doubt played a bunch of songs. The setlist is on my Twitter. You know the drill: twitter.com/joelshitshow. Then after the show I met someone who fucked Adam from Link 80. She recognized my shirt.

Well, that’s all the time we have for today. Visit us on the Web at joelshitshow.com. E-mail joel@joelshitshow.com.

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Episode 1095 is up

July 20, 2009

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Episode 1094 is up

July 20, 2009

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Episode 1093 is up

July 20, 2009

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Kepi “Yes Depression”

July 19, 2009

It’s an EP. It’s Kepi from the Groovie Ghoulies. He plays live still as Kepi Ghoulie. But he still does the pop punk we all love when he does. But he doesn’t here.
These songs are depressing. I guess that’s the point. With song titles like “When I’m Gone,” “Hurt & Alone” and “The King of Nothing,” it gives one pause. Is he being serious with these tracks? I think not, although if you knew nothing of him, you’d think everything was just dandy. Perhaps Kepi just wants us to realize how diversely talented he is. We already knew that, dude!
“The Highwayman” stands out, although the tracks do all support a common point: Kepi can put a harmonica around his neck and play at the Club Cal-Neva in Reno, Nevada, anytime he wants.
“Hair of Gold (and Skin of Blue)” reminds me of a sequel to the classic “Graveyard Girlfriend.” It’s a lot of fun! If you want Kepi Unplugged, you’ve found it. Don’t expect it to be wild. It’s like listening to Chris Murray when you want to hear ska.

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Summer Cats “Songs for Tuesdays”

July 19, 2009

They’re from Australia, which means it’s actually winter right now. Maybe they spell it “wintre”? Enquiring minds want to know.
All the songs are pretty short, and they have a lot of indie rock energy. It seems that they would be quite good live, but in the studio, the jury is a bit out.
“Fulton Gurls” is harmless fun, but it feels as if something is missing. There are backing vocals, but they don’t add anything to the song. “In June,” however, puts it all together. The music is reminiscent of the Blake Babies, although the singing is not as prominently focused (but then again, there’s only one Juliana Hatfield).
“Wild Rice” has keyboards at the beginning, and it sets the tone for another fun and catchy song. Why can’t all the tracks sound like this? I hope Summer Cats can make it out here. It’s definitely about the live show with these guys. It’s just got to be the case.
The keyboards in “Christopher Wren” stick around a little longer, and guess what? It’s the best song on the album. Funny how that works. Also good is “Waking Up.” It has that older Heavenly or Manifold Splendour sound.
The album is very inconsistent, but the gems are truly great. Pick and choose, and you can’t lose.

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The Verbs “Trip”

July 19, 2009

You can tear through these 10 tracks in little more than half an hour. Much less of a “trip” than it is running errands. The Verbs know how to do dusty rock ‘n’ roll. There’s no question about that. And if the lead singer sounds familiar, it is because she was in The Poptarts and The Antoinettes. It’s not readily apparent that such punk roots are hers, though.
The fast tracks are definitely better, though. “Hey, Hey, Uh-huh!” sounds like something Pat Benatar would do, if she ran out of things to say. It’s a good song, but it wears thin pretty quick.
“Only Love Can Break Your Heart” is a cover, but it has a country tinge to it. Although it’s never a good sign when one of your best songs is a cover, it’s still a pleasure to listen to.
“Love Is Calling Your Name” has a better melody than most of the tracks. The whispering in the background is a bit distracting but not detracting. I recommend this one and “Fooled by Rock and Roll” for Michelle Shocked fans.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but this is merely a solid effort. I really wanted it to hold my attention, but it did not.

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Various Artists “The Present (The Soundtrack From the Surf Movie)”

July 19, 2009

A lot of these tracks are instrumentals. And I have to say that I want to see the movie now. Someday I shall sneak it into my girlfriend’s Netflix queue.
“New Wedding” by Bonnie “Prince” Billy has lyrics. However, I can’t say that it’s good. I can’t tell whether he is manipulating his voice to be a dork or if he really sings that way. The music itself is fine, but it is on the instrumentals, too, so you might as well just go that route.
“When the Bible Was Wrote” is the reason to listen to this record and maybe even see the movie. Cass McCombs must be beside himself with how good of a job he did with this subdued number. It’s very controlled and precise and, like, totally belongs on a surf movie soundtrack.
“Spendin’ Days” by Japanese Motors is chock full o’ power pop goodness. It reminds me of Supergrass.
The album is worth buying because instead of liner notes you get pictures of surfers doing neat shit. One shows a person on a Nordic Track while on a board. Let’s see you download that!

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Christina Courtin “Christina Courtin”

July 19, 2009

The first thing I noticed about this well-sung singer/songwriter contraption was that it was very polished. Oh, no wonder. It’s on Nonesuch, a Warner Bros. imprint. (Did I say that right?) I suppose I should thank them, for it is unlikely she would have crossed my path otherwise. It’s a big world out there.
“Green Jay” sounded like something Catatonia would have done, high praise indeed. And so it goes throughout the album; plus singing with plus accompaniment. Nothing really stands out in a bad way, and you get a bit captivated by Courtin’s voice, which is entirely because it’s good, not because it’s distracting. I mean, people that think they like Nelly Furtado because of her voice should listen to this. She knows where her home is.
Play “Foreign Country” and the women will be all over you. She channels KT Tunstall here in terms of rhythm, and again with that voice. Put that thing away before all are smitten before thee. It’s really quite good.
“Mulberries” takes some great piano work and leaves one thinking of Tricia Concepcion. Or maybe the Mister Rogers theme song. Either way, it’s something to marvel. “One Man Down” gets everything just right and is the most memorable track. The drums are mixed a little higher, and it causes me to desire a glass of lemonade.

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Tiny Vipers “Life on Earth”

July 19, 2009

Tiny Vipers are not quite folk, but they definitely approach it. Really, the band is just Jesy Fortino. She sings long and slow songs about stuff, and they just meander about. It’s no surprise this has been released on Sub Pop. It’s way below the radio.
“Eyes Like Ours” starts out and clocks in at nearly six minutes. It’s heartfelt, like Lisa Germano, but the music is less rhythmic. You get the impression that we’re flies on the wall when listening to the album. That is to say this music doesn’t sound like it was made for anyone other than Fortino herself.
The title track stands out a bit, although in general the songs all sound the same. There’s plenty of passion and heartfelt rendering. I wasn’t sure at first my graphics card could handle all the rendering. The last track, Outside, has harmonizing backing vocals, and it makes all the difference. It is the most listenable song on the album.
This music is best suited for the background of your modest ranch-style home that you cashed in your 401(k) to buy (on a first-time home buyer’s exemption). There’s certainly nothing wrong with it, and it’s very good at what it’s trying to do. But it sure sounds a lot better with bruschetta and a glass of pinot noir!

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