Folks, there are records that have been created over the years that had an incredible influence on me, maybe not from the perspective of inspiring me to create music of my own but albums that helped shaped my philosophy and path in life. Never Mind the Bollocks from the Sex Pistols. Nevermind from Nirvana. This is the Voice from Agent Orange. Murder in a Foreign Place from M.I.A. Rocket to Russia from the Ramones. Ocean Rain from Echo and the Bunnymen. There are several albums in my collection that I consider to be bigger favorites of mine, but this post is about music that has shaped my life. And one of those albums has to be the debut from one of my all-time favorite bands, Sugar.

Copper Blue ranks as my all-time favorite debut album and is a disc I would include in my all-time Top Ten. It is an album that sounds as fresh today as it did twenty years ago, an album that still goes for the jugular in ferocious, yet melodic fashion and never makes me feel old.

I grew up a fan of Husker Du and was seriously bummed when that legendary punk rock band pulled the plug and hung it up. They were labeled a hardcore band but the work they created took punk rock to a level that the restraints of that genre could not contain. The last two albums the band made for SST Records, New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig have to be considered two of punk rock’s landmark achievements. Husker Du made the move to major label Warner Brothers and released the very good Candy Apple Grey and the good but not Husker Du great Warehouse: Songs and Stories. Then it was all over, although the tension between drummer/vocalist Grant Hart, bassist Greg Norton and Mould had been building for some time.

Bob Mould created two very good solo releases after the demise of the Huskers, Workbook and Black Sheets of Rain. Very good albums but I missed the tension, ferocity and gnarl of the guitar from the past. All this changed in September 1992 when Copper Blue was released on Rykodisc Records.

I had not purchased the album before seeing the video for the first single from the album “Helpless”. I watched it on MTV’s 120 Minutes, liked the song but it did not blow me away as anything particularly special. My somewhat apathetic attitude about that track caused some delay in getting the album, but it was Bob Mould so I knew sooner or later I would own the album. I had no idea what I was in store for when I finally came home with the disc one day.

“The Act We Act” leads off the album and it took all of about five seconds for me to realize I was playing a truly special disc. Bob’s guitar was back with a vengeance and the first two lines of the song, “I’m watching you walk, As you walk that distant way” were classic Mould writing and delivery all the way. Today this incredible track ranks as my favorite on the album, an exceptional lead track to an exceptional album.

As good as that was the second track “A Good Idea” with one of my favorite bass lines of all-time delivered by former Mercyland bassist David Barbe was even more impressive at the time. That bass hook along with Mould’s creepy work on the guitar set the foundation for a truly awesome piece of work.

There was not one sub par track on the entire album. Bob Mould wrote all the music for Copper Blue, adeptly mixing slower tempo tunes such as “The Slim” with brutal up-tempo songs such as “Fortune Teller”. Latter period Husker Du began to showcase the more melodic side of Bob Mould. Tracks like “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” highlighted that characteristic to perfection.

One listen to that album had an immediate impact on how I felt aggressive music should sound. My belief that aggression had to mean guttural screaming, a deafening decibel level and a 100mph tempo were completely eliminated. Copper Blue caused me to realize that mid-tempo music with pop hooks could still peel paint off the walls.

I have been through several copies of this disc over the years, simply because it is one of those records that I can always reach for when I simply want to hear an album that is spectacular from start to finish. There is a reason NME rated Copper Blue its #1 album for 1992.

Enough of the self-history lesson and back to the original reason for this post. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Copper Blue (now I do feel old) Bob Mould will be joined by bassist Jason Narducy from Verbow and drummer Jon Wurster from Superchunk to deliver Copper Blue in its entirety for the first time ever. This show will be a part of the 20th Noise Pop Festival and will take place Friday, February 24 at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. Yes, there will be other artists at this festival but I don’t even care at this point. My focus is 100% on making sure I figure out a way to get to this show.

I saw Sugar play once years ago during the File Under Easy Listening tour at the Electric Ballroom in Tempe. That was one of the loudest concerts I have ever been to. It was also one of the best. I did not see Bob Mould play again until 2009. I saw him three times that year: March in Minneapolis at the Varsity Theatre; April at Coachella; October in Seattle at Neumos. All great performances, all incredible nights of seeing one of my idols play live.

Yes, this show is a must for me and I feel very comfortable saying it should be the concert of the year. That 2009 Coachella performance was my top show for that year.

If you have never listened to Copper Blue PLEASE pick up a copy! The album has stood the test of time and any artist today that aspires to create melodic indie rock with a heavy punk edge needs to listen to this album to learn what the right formula is.

Someone pinch me, I still cannot believe this show happens in 26 days …

Cheers!

Bob Mould Band performing “The Act We Act” at Coachella 2009 – Really bummed I can’t find myself in this video!

Hello folks,

There is one more critical topic to address when discussing the best in music from 2011 – songs. In a world where most people download singles now from iTunes, Amazon and other resources, strong singles become even more significant since too many people do not possess the patience to listen to an entire album. This is both unfortunate and pathetic but since that seems to be the case with most listeners great songs become even more important for an artist to generate any revenue.

A disclaimer about this list! I consider a song to be one created for the year when it appears on an official album or EP release in 2011. This will explain the inclusion of a song I have heard live since 2010 or even before that in one instance on this list. The Musings has established the rules, I abide by them.

Here are my picks for Best Songs of 2011. For those of you wondering how I could continuously say Elbow is the greatest band in the world yet not vote build a rocket boys! my Album of the Year or the October Los Angeles show at the Greek Theater Concert of the Year … well, I think I will make those people happy now. Once again, we start with #10:

10. The Father Figures – “Typical Bible Beating Hypocrites” – One of the earliest songs from this stellar Valley post-punk band, the single received the proper studio treatment for the Lesson Number One release, making it possible for the band to deliver this song with maximum damage potential. Check out Tom Reardon’s bass line on the track, absolutely spectacular.

9. The Joy Formidable – “The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie” – The lead track from the band’s spectacular full-length debut The Big Roar, my pick for Album of the Year, starts out gently with a subtle bass and drum line that builds into a sprawling cascade of guitars, then settles into Ritzy Bryan’s beautiful vocal delivery. This song is a tremendous display of what this band is capable of, possessing sheer power layered over spectacular pop hooks.

8. Fleet Foxes – “Grown Ocean” – This track closes out the spectacular sophomore full-length effort from the band with the best vocal harmonies on the planet right now. “Grown Ocean” features a more up-tempo beat than the majority of the band’s work. I love the contrast in styles, particularly since none of what makes the Fleet Foxes special is absent. The instrumentation of this track is absolutely gorgeous and Robin Pecknold delivers another incredible job behind the mic.

7. We Were Promised Jetpacks – “Circles and Squares” – For the second straight full-length album WWPJ opens a disc in incendiary style! “Circles and Squares” opens ferociously with that wall of sound they create so well using a brutal two-guitar attack, a thunderous bass and a drum roll that pummel the senses. What I love about this track, typical with many WWPJ songs is how the instrumentation settled down once the vocals enter the equation.

6. Elbow – “Lippy Kids” – The first of TWO entries from the greatest band in the world. “Lippy Kids” may be the most subtle track Elbow has ever created, yet the understated power in this song makes it one of the more amazing creations in the career of this five-piece. The repetitive piano work meshes perfectly with the delicate crooning from rock music’s best vocalist Guy Garvey. The studio version is impeccable, the live version of this song is simply overwhelming. One of the best moments from the Los Angeles show in October 2011.

5. TV on the Radio – “Repetition” – The last three TVOTR albums all featured one track that was truly epic, standing alone from the rest of the disc. On Return to Cookie Mountain the song was “Wolf Like Me”, Dear Science it was “Halfway Home”. “Repetition” features the TV on the Radio formula played to perfection; Tunde Adebimpe’s passionate cry on the vocals + the ultra-tight musicianship from the rest of the band + a frenetic rock beat mixed with classic funk = an amazing track. The title of the song is perfect because  when I first bought the album I played this song over and over and over …

4. The Get Up Kids – “Tithe” – I picked up good friend Bobby Lerma from The Father Figures for a delicious lunch at El Bravo one day and played him the opening track from the new Get Up Kids album These Four Walls. He had the same reaction as me; “Who is this?!” You have to understand something, I dislike this band, at least their old music. I feel they are a typical representation of that rancid era of emo music from the nineties that makes me cringe in disgust to this day. This song is nothing like past Get Up Kids material. The beginning of this song is incredibly intense, the rest is pure punk rock with an indie rock edge to it, a pop song on steroids. Incredible track. They opened with this song at The Clubhouse last year and it was awesome watching all the sissy emo kids looking at each other with that “I want to hear music from Something to Write Home About!” look. I loved it.

3. Foo Fighters – “Bridge Burning” – Any other year “Tithe” would have walked away with the title for best opening to a song for the year. Unfortunately The Get Up Kids picked the year The Foo Fighters decided to rock out hard for the first time in years. The first 45 seconds of “Bridge Burning”, the opening track to Wasting Light, are so brutal, so intense, so incendiary, you would almost think Dave Grohl was back in legendary D.C. punk rock band Scream pounding on the skins. I love when punk rock is used as a foundation to create a great rock sound and that is what has happened here. This is the kind of track a UFC fighter should come out to just before he kicks someone’s ass.

2. Source Victoria – “Nobody Knows But Me” – Source Victoria frontman Brendan Murphy wrote some incredible music for Slow Luck. While other tracks on that great album may possess more complex song structures, the brilliant dream pop/Britpop/shoegaze sound of “Nobody Knows But Me” recalls the best moments of classic bands such as Catherine Wheel and Swervedriver. The most rocking song on Slow Luck also possesses a heavy offering of hooks, creating a beautiful pop song. Stupendous!

1. Elbow – “Neat Little Rows” – build a rocket boys!, the fifth full-length album from Elbow was the opportunity for the band to make the album they wanted to after the success of The Seldom Seen Kid, rather than making the album they had to. Therefore, the album was more subtle and subdued than past efforts. It was still absolutely brilliant but there were not a lot of pop songs on the record.

Except for track #4. “Neat Little Rows” is as close to being the perfect pop song as anything I have ever listened to. The mid-tempo melodic beat propelled along by a precise rhythm section, a beautiful hook on the piano and Guy Garvey’s phenomenal vocal delivery create the best song on a great album and the runaway winner for my favorite song of the year. Yes, nothing came close to this track and it remains as fresh and vital nearly twelve months after its initial release. That bass line and drum beat are absolutely mesmerizing!

Yes, the greatest band in the world has two songs in my Top Ten and “Open Arms” was very close to making it three. “Lippy Kids” was unveiled to the world as a Boxing Day present from the band in 2010 while “Neat Little Rows” was the first official single from build a rocket boys! My understanding is the lads are already preparing to start work on album number six sometime this year. Oh my …

Cheers!

Hello everybody,

Another great year of shows my friends! This was a tougher Top Ten to come up with than last year, especially my Top Five. Five of the bands that made the Top Ten are bands I grew up listening to, including one band I never had a chance to see during its original heyday in the mid-eighties. Punk rock was a heavy component of this year’s list. The unique characteristic of this list is this is the first time a classical concert was my top pick for the year.

If the show has been hyperlinked I did a review for the concert earlier in the year for The Musings. I really sucked in regards to posting in 2011, only four postings. Also, I only listed the primary band of the evening that solidified the pick for me, but either the hyperlinked review or the brief review on this post will list the support.

Thanks to SilverPlatter.info for all you have done for me in the past two years with shows, luck forward to another great year! Please visit this website folks, best site on the web for venue and show information here in the Valley of the Sun.

Here we go, starting with #10!

10. January 29 – The Father Figures at Rips. Before you get your panties in a bunch that I listed this band in a Top Ten once again let me explain a few things. First, yes The Father Figures are one of my favorite bands. Second, this show was the CD release party for their first release Lesson Number One. Third, if you were at Rips that night you will understand just how high the energy was, how jam-packed this venue was and how many members of the Sunnyslope Crew were in attendance. I may be subjective in making this comment but trust me, the appearance of the Sunnyslope Crew in high numbers is a good indicator the band is top-notch.

9. October 15 – Anarchy Taco at Hollywood Alley. For the uninitiated Jan Nils Ackermann was the original guitarist for The Vandals, the band that created two of my all-time favorite punk rock records, Peace thru’ Vandalism and When in Rome do as the Vandals. Ackermann left The Vandals back in 1989 and to be honest, my interest in the band had already diminished by the time original vocalist Stevo left the fold. Anarchy Taco plays Vandals songs the way they are supposed to be played, melodic punk rock full of intense energy. The band played all six songs from Peace thru’ Vandalism, plus “Ladykiller” and “Hocus Pocus” from When in Rome …” and one other song I did not recognize. My friend Dave Marsh was laughing because I was singing along to classics such as “Urban Struggle”, “The Legend of Pat Brown” and “Anarchy Burger” just like when I was back in high school. They smoked on this evening, the highlight of a great show that included J.F.A., The Father Figures and Asses of Evil.

8. September 16 – Psychedelic Furs at Talking Stick Resort. Third time I have seen this great band, still delivering solid 80′s post-punk and new wave music with vigor. Thanks to former Hat Club bud Eric Larson for the great seats! Tom Tom Club put on a good show that night as well.

7. February 5 – Interpol at the Marquee Theatre. I last saw this band during the tour for its second album Antics years ago down in Tucson. The third release from the band was good but the fourth album did nothing for me, so I honestly was not even planning on going to this concert. I am so glad I changed my mind because this show may have been better than the concert from the Antics tour. I was both pleasantly surprised and blown away by how tight this band sounded, particularly since Interpol had just lost its bass player (I know it was one of the members, not 100% sure it was the bassist but pretty sure about that). The band played very little from the third album  Our Love to Admire and quite a bit from the self-titled fourth album, but what made the concert was the heavy inclusion of material from the band’s incredible debut Turn on the Bright Lights and its sophomore effort Antics. Ending with my favorite song “Not Even Jail” made this show even more incredible for this fan.

Thanks for the great pic Steve Reiman!

6. October 1 – Elbow at the Greek Theater. Many people were surprised that Elbow “only” came in at #3 on my picks for Best Albums of 2011. Therefore, it may surprise a lot of the same people that the band “only” came in at #6 on this list. Trust me folks, this show was incredible and Elbow solidly remains the greatest band in the world. Period. A number of my friends saw the show as well and can attest to the fact Elbow was amazing on this evening. What is scary is the fact this concert did not come close to matching Elbow’s May 2008 performance at the Bluebird Theater in Denver. That concert still ranks #1 all-time for me.

5. November 8 – We Were Promised Jetpacks at Crescent Ballroom. I will be honest, as I am writing this it floors me this concert came in at #5, it was that intense of a show. It blows me away the progression of We Were Promised Jetpacks since I saw them in February 2010 at the Rhythm Room. Although not a particularly long set WWPJ packed an amazing amount of material and energy while onstage. Nearly all of In the Pit of the Stomach was played with a healthy dose from the band’s debut These Four Walls. Every song was delivered with the frenetic high-powered energy I have come to expect from my favorite FatCat records band with the last song from the new album “Pear Tree” quite possibly the highlight of the set. WWPJ closed out the evening with the lead track from the first album “It’s Thunder and it’s Lightning”, nearly tearing off the roof in the process. Yes, it was that loud and that intense. Bear Hands and Royal Bangs both delivered killer sets to open the show.

4. December 9 – X at Club Red. I figured I had seen X for the last time years ago when they played a great set at the Cajun House and I was perfectly content with that. Every time I have seen X play I saw the Billy Zoom line-up, never saw the band with any of the replacement guitarists. Those guys were good but X has to be seen with Billy Zoom assuming that legendary pose of his while delivering some of the slickest guitar licks I have ever seen. Needless to say the band once again delivered a monster set with nothing but material from the first four albums. Maybe they played something off the fifth album and last with Billy Zoom in the group Ain’t Love Grand but I do not think they did. Therefore, all evening we got to hear classics such as “The Hungry Wolf”, “Johny Hit and Run Paulene”, “The New World” and “We’re Desperate”, along with many others from the band’s brilliant career. I think they played a good 90 minutes or so, plenty of time to deliver most of the tracks from the first four X albums. Neil Hounchell from Desert Sound Productions has to be commended for putting together a RIDICULOUS line-up for this show, easily the best roster of bands for one concert in 2011. We had the chance to see X, Zander Schloss and Sean Wheeler, The Black Tibetans and Flathead on one stage, while The Love Me Nots, The Father Figures and Scorpion vs Tarantula tore things up on the second stage. Neil, thanks again for putting this show together and delivering in the face of a lot of adversity.

3. April 17 – Agent Orange at The Modified. Yes, The Modified does still do shows but only for special occasions. I had the fortune of being invited to a private party on this evening with the host booking the greatest punk band OF EVER Agent Orange along with the best Valley punk band now The Father Figures. Holy cow! Thanks to Bobby Lerma for the invite. Needless to say The Father Figures were definitely on this evening, but Agent Orange delivered a set so intense, so unbelievable and so amazing that I swore it was 1986-1987 during the band’s prime while touring in support of my favorite album from them This is the Voice. I remember at one point saying to Father Figures guitarist Michael Cornelius “I can’t believe they just played all of Living in Darkness!” Yep, all eight songs from that classic document of Orange County punk rock, most of the Bitchin’ Summer and When You Least Expect It EPs, almost all of This is the Voice and even “Wouldn’t Last a Day” from Virtually Indestructible. Guitarist/vocalist Mike Palm is a true legend  and the current Agent Orange bassist and drummer comprise the strongest line-up since the James Levesque/Scott Miller days. Unbelievable show, I was reeling for weeks after this one.

2. November 14 – Chameleons Vox at the Rhythm Room. I am still pinching myself that this show actually happened. Thank you Kimber Lanning from Stinkweeds for bringing The Chameleons to the Rhythm Room! The Chameleons are one of my all-time favorite bands, delivering a breath-taking style of post-punk loaded with Britpop harmonies and hooks. Alas, the typical “artistic differences” bug hit the group and they broke up in 1987. There have been a couple of reunions since but the band never made it to Arizona. Therefore, I was stunned when I read that original vocalist/bassist Mark Burgess and second drummer Jon Lever were bringing Chameleons Vox here. It was everything I could have hoped for, an incredible evening of music that featured all my favorite Chameleons songs from Script of the Bridge, What Does Anything Mean? Basically and Strange Times. Mark’s voice sounds as superb as ever and the additional members in the band from Black Swan Lane, who also opened the show, played the songs incredibly well. The crowd responded beautifully, acknowledging that a true legend was in its midst that evening. I will be honest, I had goosebumps when asking Mark Burgess to sign my copy of Script of the Bridge that night. When Chameleons Vox ended with my all-time favorite Chameleons tune “Second Skin” I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. I finally had seen one of my bucket list bands. Phoenix’s own The Captives and Black Swan Lane delivered great opening sets, so cool to hear Mark Burgess give props to The Captives and Kimber during “Second Skin”!

1. October 12 – The Fellowship of the Ring in concert at Jobing.com Arena. The Two Towers performed live at Radio City Music Hall was my #2 pick last year, barely getting nudged out of the top spot by The National. A tough pick again this year but this time I have to go with this concert as my number one pick. I pray The Two Towers comes to Arizona in 2012 because each year through 2013 the score from the successive movie will be delivered live throughout the United States. Folks, even if you are not a fan of The Lord of the Rings movies, watching the movie while the score is being performed live is something you should not miss.

I have to acknowledge two other great shows that landed just outside of my Top Ten, the Source Victoria CD release party for Slow Luck and the farewell show from The Other 49. Read the reviews, hopefully you were at both of them because both shows were outstanding.

Wish list for 2012? Let’s start with Nada Surf, Snow Patrol, A Place to Bury Strangers and Twilight Sad since all have new material coming out this year! Cheers!

The end of 2011 is tomorrow and that means many things. Time to wrap up this sorry excuse for a year (loss of a job, loss of respect for several schmuckos and the loss of six family members from both sides) and get ready for what I think will be a great New Year. However, new music did not suffer at all and there were some killer new releases in 2011. This was the second year in a row I have had the opportunity to contribute to the Stinkweeds annual Best of book.

Since I already completed a brief review of each album for the book I just copied those entries into this post. If I happened to review the album on the Stinkweeds reviews page those will be linked on the name of the album. The list is in order from #10 to #1 and I am very stoked my two favorite local bands made this list.

So without further adieu, here we go, starting with my #10 pick. Enjoy!

10. Odonis Odonis - Hollandaze – Fans of A Place to Bury Strangers and Psychocandy-era Jesus and Mary Chain seriously need to check out this disc. Feedback drenched surf music pierces the eardrums, done in a manner that still features of plenty of pop hooks.

9. The Get Up Kids – There Are Rules – I am still shocked with how much I like this album because I was never a fan of the Get Up Kids. However, There Are Rules features a much different sound than what the band created during its original run. This album shreds and the opening track “Tithe” was very close to being my favorite track of 2011.

8. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues – The band’s second full length effort is even better than their spectacular debut. Crisp songwriting created an album of impeccable indie folk rock highlighted by the best vocal harmonies in rock and roll. The incredible closing track to the album “Grown Ocean” is worth the price of the entire disc.

7. Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto – An outstanding return to form for this Britpop band. Some people try to slag Coldplay for being too mainstream. Coldplay is an example of the mainstream catching up to great pop music. “Charlie Brown” showcases a more up-tempo sound while “Paradise” is classic Coldplay – great songwriting, tremendous harmonies, tight musicianship.

6. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light – My favorite disc from the Foo Fighters since the band’s watershed second album The Colour and the Shape. Wasting Light has the most intense opening 45 seconds to any album of 2011 with “Bridge Burning”, an amazing guest appearance from the legendary Bob Mould on “Dear Rosemary” and pop hooks galore mixed with awesome power.

5. Source Victoria – Slow Luck – This album was well worth the wait, a beautiful piece of work that travels the musical spectrum of subtle indie rock, dream pop and mellow alternative pop. Mid-tempo rockers such as the incredible “Nobody Knows But Me” blend exceptionally well on this album with the gorgeous “Acetylene Torch Song” and “Once I’m Dead”, a track that is guaranteed to inspire some level of emotional reaction. Riveting piece of work!

4. The Father Figures – Lesson Number One – The first of two local bands to make the list. The debut from The Father Figures is a strong post-punk release that possesses some incredibly unique song structures and an amazing variety of tempos. It has been a long time since a skate punk album sounded legitimate rather than terribly generic. Lesson Number One contains early Father Figures work such “Typical Bible Beating Hypocrites” with newer classics such as “Fe Fi Fo”. Outstanding effort.

3. Elbow – build a rocket boys! – The greatest band in the world released another stellar effort with its fifth album. “Neat Little Rows” is easily my favorite song of 2011 and “Lippy Kids” is not far behind. The musicianship from these lads is incredible and no one comes close to Guy Garvey for best vocalist. This album is the blueprint for what pop music is supposed to sound like. If it wasn’t for a three song lull leading up to the magnificent “Open Arms” this would have been my top pick of the year.

2. We Were Promised Jetpacks – In the Pit of the Stomach – The second straight band to make my Top Ten again, up one spot to #2 this year. The second full-length from WWPJ is incredibly intense, yet so melodic at the same time. This album goes for the jugular on the opening track, maintains that momentum for tracks 2-9 and brings things to an incendiary end on track 10. Simply stupendous.

1. The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar – The dreaded “sophomore jinx” did not plague this band at all. The band’s debut EP A Balloon Called Moaning was my #5 pick last year. The Big Roar comes in at #1 in 2011 for this listener. The Joy Formidable ramped things up considerably on this disc, twelve tracks of indie rock bliss that possess some of the best pop hooks I have heard in years.

Cheers! More “Best Of” posts to come!

Usually I do a monthly post about upcoming concerts for the month but I will be honest; December is kind of a crap month. Fatigo will be at Hollywood Alley December 9, CAKE will be at the Marquee Theater and the 10th Annual Joe Strummer Memorial Show at George and Dragon both happen on December 10, Brian Setzer will be at Marquee on December 13, Jimmy Eat World will be at the Crescent Ballroom December 23 and Courtney Marie Andrews will also be at Crescent on December 28. Maybe musicians don’t like performing during the holidays.

However, there is one GYNORMOUS show happening this coming Friday! Right now Chameleons Vox, Black Swan Lane and The Captives at the Rhythm Room, the live rendering of The Fellowship of the Ring at Jobing.com, Agent Orange and the Father Figures at The Modified, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Bear Hands and Royal Bangs at the Crescent Ballroom and Elbow and DeVotchKa at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles rank as my top shows of the year. Friday could very easily surpass those concerts due to a ridiculous line-up of seven great bands.

Desert Sounds Productions may have created the show of the year folks by bringing to the Valley of the Sun the Xmas Traveling Rock and Roll Revival Tour! This line-up is out of control and features LA rock and punk legends X! X may have been classified as a punk band but that foursome was so much better than the limitations of that genre of music. This year the band celebrates the 31st anniversary of the release of their classic debut Los Angeles and the band is sure to play many songs from that album, plus songs from later releases when guitarist Billy Zoom was still in the band such as Wild Gift, Under the Big Black Sun, More Fun in the New World and Ain’t Love Grand. Exene and John Doe have to rank as one of rock and roll’s all-time best vocal duos and D.J. Bonebrake on the drums with John Doe on the bass is an awesome rhythm section. Billy Zoom … what more needs to be said?

The rest of this line-up is just as good folks!

Sean Wheeler & Zander Schloss plays a mix of bluegrass, country, folk, gospel, pop and ragtime. What makes that interesting is the fact Wheeler performed in Throw Rag and Schloss … well, how about the fact this guy has played with the Circle Jerks, the Weirdos and the legendary Joe Strummer?

The Black Tibetans are a three-piece rock band from Los Angeles.

Now let’s talk about the four local bands that will be on this bill.

The Love Me Nots are big overseas and have a loyal following here in the Valley. Their style of 60s garage rock is unbelievable and they put on a fabulous show anytime they perform.

If you have been searching for true skate-punk with a healthy dose of post-punk you NEED to check out The Father Figures. This trio released their debut Lesson Number One earlier this year, already have enough new material to prepare work on their sophomore release and deliver some of the most precise punk rock heard in the Valley in a long, long time.

Do not show up late folks! Scorpion vs Tarantula absolutely destroys every time they play with their brutal delivery of garage rock. They are the real deal and know how to rock hard.

Flathead was recently added to the bill, making this monster line-up even more incredible. This band delivers classic bluegrass/country/rockabilly and has been a fixture here in Tempe for well over a decade.

Club Red is located at at the SW corner of University Drive and the Loop 101 Freeway, behind the Waffle House. This could be the show of the year folks and this will sell out, only $20 for seven great artists. Heck, X alone is worth the $20!

I know some of you are thinking, “Seriously, another Source Victoria post”? First, F you. Second, did you really think after all the posts leading up to the show that I wouldn’t write a review of the show?

Yep, I have been psyched about this show since word got out that the album was finally done and the release party date was set. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a copy of the disc early so I could post a review of Slow Luck prior to the show. I had the opportunity to interview singer/guitarist/songwriter Brendan Murphy a week and a half before the show to gain some more insight to the making of Slow Luck and the overriding theme of the album. But I got to a point when I just wanted the show to arrive so everyone else would have the opportunity to get the disc for themselves and watch the band perform songs from the album live. Needless to say the Crescent Ballroom crowd was not disappointed!

Jamal Ruhe, the gentleman who did the mastering on Slow Luck flew out for the show and was a late addition to the line-up. I am so glad Brendan added him to the bill because Jamal Ruhe delivered a splendid set to commence the evening! This guy can flat-out play the acoustic guitar and has an outstanding voice. Plus, this artist has some serious cajones! If you plan on performing a cover of “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” from The Smiths you better be able to deliver the goods. It was a beautiful rendition, just one snippet of an outstanding set. I hope you got to the venue in time to see him perform.

No Jeff Bufano and Chris Corak from Reubens Accomplice? Son of a …

Therefore, Colorstore was up next. Great band, so unique and this band boasts some serious musicianship. Their most telling characteristic may be the fact I still have not figured out a genre to use as a label for these guys. All you need to know is Colorstore is one of those bands that you really have to pay attention to while they perform because there is so much going on at once. Please go see this band when you get a chance and focus in on what they are doing, it is all too rare to see a band that is both utterly professional and eclectic at the same time.

Next up was Source Victoria. I asked Brendan during the interview if the band planned on doing anything special for the show, such as play the entirety of Slow Luck. He told me, “It’s not going to be fireworks or anything.” Well, the band led off with “All That You Taught Me”, the beautiful first track from the album. Perfect beginning to the show since this song provides a great vehicle for Murphy’s trademark gravelly yet delicate vocal delivery and showcases the band’s ability to deliver a mellow indie pop tune well.

My favorite track from Slow Luck was played next, “Nobody Knows But Me”. Great transition as this tune is the most “rocking” on the album. Justin Entsminger’s bass boomed through the Crescent Ballroom sound system and Scott Hessel was dynamite as always on the drums, creating that outstanding Source Victoria rhythm section. Aaron Wendt delivered that killer guitar solo in the middle of the song with potent precision.

“Black Luck, Black Label” was next. Did Murphy lie to me? The album was played in order to this point! In fact, “Taking Me On” and “Arrogance, Your Best Defense” followed, so the first five songs played followed the order of the opening of the album. That trend ended with the sixth song. Therefore, at this point I lost track in regards to an official playlist.

Eleven of the twelve songs from Slow Luck were played with the only omission being the stunning “Acetylene Torch Song”. The band had obviously put in a ton of practice time for this show because they were extraordinarily tight on this evening. Murphy at one point during the set pulled out an acoustic guitar, stating that was the first time he had played an acoustic during one of the band’s shows. I thought it worked well, adding that more delicate type of sound to the band’s live delivery for the evening. This also gave guitarist Rick Heins a chance to really shine on tracks such as “I Know You Well”. Murphy played the instrument for a few songs.

Source Victoria even pulled out three gems from The Fast Escape for the show, “Miss Spiritual Tramp of 1948″, “Burn the Pianos” and the always crowd-pleasing and still possibly my favorite song from that album, “Opportunistic”. The timing of these songs blended well with the Slow Luck focus of the evening.

The entire set was great; personal favorites for this evening included “Black Luck, Black Label” and the last two songs of the set, coincidentally the final two tracks of the album, “Maybe You’re Right” and what very well may be the centerpiece of Slow Luck, “Once I’m Dead”. The build-up to the guitar crescendo about 80% into the song on “Maybe You’re Right” was awe-inspiring and I love the rock version of “Once I’m Dead”.

Brendan told me during the interview that “the whole point of that show for me is simply to enjoy the night.” I think anyone at the Crescent on this evening could comfortably say Murphy and the rest of Source Victoria genuinely appeared to be happy and enjoying themselves onstage. I’m glad they did because I can tell you from my perspective and from watching others around me the whole crowd was having a great time. This was the biggest audience I have seen at a Source Victoria show which was very cool to see.

Congratulations to the band for delivering a stellar show! I am not sure if any record stores in town are selling Slow Luck, so if you did not have a chance to go to the release party check out the Source Victoria Facebook page, send them a message and I am sure you can get your hands on a disc that way. For those of you that only download music now (shame on you!) Slow Luck is also on iTunes.

I took three videos of the band; some if not all will be posted on the SilverPlatter.info YouTube channel. Once they are live I will update this post so you can see a video or two or three of the band from this evening.

Cheers!

Yes, I know the picture is a little grainy. I have told you before,  I write, my photography skills can aptly be described as “pathetic”. Deal with it or take a better picture at the Slow Luck CD release show November 25.

I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours on Tuesday, November 15 with Brendan Murphy, singer/guitarist/songwriter for one of my favorite local bands Source Victoria. Let’s be honest here, this five-some has steadily become one of my favorite bands – period. I love their mesh of indie rock and dreampop, go to a lot of their shows and have been chomping at the bit for their third release Slow Luck for about 20 months now.

Brendan is the real deal folks, no rock star BS here. The first time I saw these guys play at the Rogue Bar opening for Adam Franklin back in January 2010 he GAVE me a copy of the band’s second release The Fast Escape. I wanted to buy it; he said “no, just promise me you’ll come see us again if you like it.” I did not like the disc, I absolutely loved it. We have become friends the past couple of years and I have come to respect this man as a genuinely good individual that just so happens to be the frontman for a very cool band.

A good indicator of a good interview is the fact I had the recorder going for about 47 minutes before even asking the guy my first official question. We spent that time talking about bands, concerts we had been to, sports and work. It was a perfect way to break the ice and get comfortable with one another. It laid the foundation for an amazing interview.

There is a lot from the time Brendan and I spoke that WON’T be in this transcript. Simply put, I discovered some things, very positive things, that I feel should be kept between two friends rather than being put out there for anyone to read. All I will say is this; I had a lot of respect for Brendan Murphy already but that increased exponentially by the time we were done.

Plus, the guy makes a mean cup of java. So without further adieu, I hope you enjoy this written portrait about Source Victoria and the creation of their outstanding new release Slow Luck.

FRANK: I’m here talking to Brendan Murphy of Source Victoria. We’re going to have a little chat about the band, music in general and the release on Friday, November 25 of the band’s latest release Slow Luck. For the initiated what are your roles in the band?

BRENDAN: Live and recording are very different things I think arguably. The band has evolved so many times and ways and continues to change. For this record live I play guitar and sing, Aaron Wendt plays guitar and sings backup vocals, Scott Hessel plays drums and triggers a sampler that we have for at least one song, Justin plays bass and Rick Heins was brought in during the recording of Slow Luck to play guitar. He also plays keyboards now and then as needed. Aaron and Rick help play whatever is needed per song.

Recording-wise, Justin and Scott do their thing as a rhythm section very well. They’re old pros. Rick wasn’t involved in the initial basic tracking of the record because he came in later, but he did provide leads, solos and texture parts on various songs. For example he played the lead for “Taking Me On”. His work is really good. He also (thankfully) played acoustic guitar on “Once I’m Dead”. Aaron and I shared the duties in terms of rhythm guitars. Aaron played a crucial role as the “band’s co-producer”. Chris (Testa) was the engineer and producer of the record but internally Aaron was the guiding force that got the band in a position to make the record sound the way it does. It should be interesting going forward because my hope is to work on songs together more than we did on this record.

FRANK: Has it always been a case of you being the principal songwriter?

BRENDAN: That has evolved as well. The Fast Escape record was about half and half between Jeff Livingston and me. We worked well together in terms of creating the music. I have always written the melodies and the lyrics. When Jeff left the band I felt like I needed to write a record on my own, maybe to prove to myself I could do it. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a Source Victoria record or simply a handful of songs that I would do the whole thing on, call people in to play on various parts and have a vision for what the whole song would sound like. I set up a little ProTools studio and created things that way for this record. Aaron was very supportive of my vision for how I see music and how to help me get there for songs that I write. He has always been good at helping me realize that vision and was very supportive of me during this exercise.

Many times I had songs that were less than finished and people came in to help me flush out bridges, choruses and chord changes. This record more than the others was a personal thing that I was trying to achieve.

For example, the first song I wrote for the record was “The Only Road”. I wrote that song and it was a done demo, acoustic guitar and me singing. I brought it to the band and what you now hear on the record is what evolved because I play with really good musicians. That is what I want, to exploit more on the next record because I play with really good guys and I (selfishly) want to take all that they have to offer. The band was in flux when the previous record was made and I did not know if I would have a band. I thought I needed to be more self-reliant but now I feel like I really have a band. Source Victoria has been this line-up for a while so I feel comfortable saying, “Let’s all work together to come up with something.”

FRANK: I arrived late to the party when it comes to your band since the first time I saw you play was opening for Adam Franklin at the Rogue Bar January 2010. My understanding is you had the band going, left for law school and temporarily put the band on the shelf. Why don’t you give me a few more specifics about the history about the band.

BRENDAN: That was actually another band called Deckard. Darren Henley played drums and my friend Jamal Ruhe (who coincidentally did the mastering for Slow Luck) played bass. We played some fun shows over the years such as opening for Jimmy Eat World during one of the CD release shows for Clarity at the Green Room. Then I left for law school and moved to Boston.

When I moved back to Phoenix after I was done with school I called Darren and started things up again. Another friend of mine by the name of Sean Szafran played bass and Ron Marschall, who is the drummer for Christie Front Drive played guitar for us. Jeff Livingston joined and played piano then Sean left the band. We had people coming and going the whole time. For a while we had a guy by the name of Mike Risch playing bass for us. The first EP was Jeff Livingston on piano, Mike Risch, Darren Henley on drums and me with no one else on guitars. Aaron Wendt helped us record The Fast Escape record and eventually joined the band. When Mike Risch left to go to grad school, Dave Lewis joined to play bass.  When Jeff left the line-up to move to San Diego, Jason Sukut (DOMO) joined up.  Due to life’s other obligations, Darren, Dave and Jason eventually left the band. Which brings us to the current line-up.

I can attribute the revolving line-up to people just having different priorities at different times. You get older, start a family, get busy with your work … life just overtakes you so you can’t justify being in a band anymore. This current line-up has existed for a couple of years now with Justin playing bass and Scott playing drums. The band changes every time a new person joins the band because the new people add their thing to it and things evolve in a positive way.

FRANK: You know how I felt when Rick joined the band.

BRENDAN: I have known Rick since I was 17 and we played in a band together when we were kids, so I had wanted to play with him again. We both have lived in different parts of the country at various times, so it finally worked where he could play with us and we wanted to have him play with us. It all just fit. It’s great and he is an amazing guitarist. He can play pretty much anything.

The other thing is I am playing with people who are some of my best friends.

FRANK: Any particular influences that you have, musically or otherwise?

BRENDAN: Musically the obvious one is The Beatles, even though you can’t really hear The Beatles in my music. Their story and songwriting ability is the influence. Music that I am clearly influenced by includes Catherine Wheel, Swervedriver, Afghan Wigs, Peter Gabriel, Elbow, Eels, The National, Wilco and all the other good ones. As a songwriter those artists don’t influence me as much as life experiences.

I am beginning to believe that books I read have more of an influence on my songwriting than the music that I listen to. I never listen to a song and then write a song, ever. If I listen to music while trying to write a song I find myself comparing what I am working on to the song I am listening to and saying to myself, “I can’t possibly write anything like this.”

Really, this record sprung from my reading a few years back Cormac McCarthy’s The Road.  I had just read his book Blood Meridian and people were beginning to talk about The Road, so I picked it up for a trip to Louisville, KY.  The book, in my opinion, lives up to its reputation.  It’s just haunting and frightening, and (more importantly) thought-provoking for someone like me with young children.  For some reason, that book really struck a nerve and when I came home from the trip, after devouring the book, I wrote “The Only Road” – which lyrically is a pretty straight lyrical interpretation of the book.

Then I started writing some other songs and each one of the songs ended up having the word “road” sort of just pop-up in the lyrics.  Lyrically, the songs I was writing were shaping up to be deeply personal  songs that deal with the father-child relationships, our failings and yearnings to make those relationships better … even at the end.   Anyway, at first I was not intentionally writing “road” into the songs, but it was just happening.  I made a conscious decision to try to carry that theme and notion throughout the record, almost like the word “blue” is in every song on Joni Mitchell’s Blue.  Incidentally, that record has relevance here because my first daughter, who sings on Slow Luck with her two other sisters (on “Maybe You’re Right”), hated her car seat when she was a baby.  My wife would try every nursery rhyme, song and CD to try to get her to calm down and the only thing that would make her stop crying was Joni Mitchell’s Blue.  We must have listened to that record about 10,000 times. It will be a long time before I can listen to that record again but I definitely borrowed the idea from the Blue record of having this thread of the road (actual and metaphorical) running throughout the record.

FRANK: Everything you have just talked about is causing me to ask this next question now rather than later when I originally had it “scheduled”. As far as I know you only had two prior releases, a self-titled EP in 2005 and The Fast Escape in 2007. (Brendan acknowledges this to be true.) Since I have already had an opportunity to listen to Slow Luck, I immediately noticed a major transition. This makes sense to me now from a lyrical perspective because of what you have just talked about.

From a musical perspective I feel your band fell into the dreampop genre on past releases. I notice more of an indie rock feel on Slow Luck, but due to what we have just discussed I have a different question now. Was there a conscious effort on your part to make a different sounding record, or did it just happen as a result of the themes you were writing about at that particular time and it just fit better?

BRENDAN: I’m a huge Elliott Smith fan and I wish I could write songs like him. Not knowing if I was going to have a band to record these songs, maybe part of me was trying to write what I consider to be proper “songs”. Not musical landscapes but just songs. Part of the process was the fact that I was often times writing songs at 5:00am when my wife and kids were still asleep. I couldn’t turn up amps, get delays going, try to make this big noise and sing over it. I was writing with an acoustic guitar and writing these smaller sounding, more intimate songs. The approach I took to writing this record was “I’m going to write songs!” Also, I was saying these things lyrically that required a different type of song that would let me say those things. The big, open, abstract musical landscapes did not seem like the right vehicle for these ideas I had. It didn’t fit. So it was a natural evolution for me driven by what I was writing.

I went back and listened to The Fast Escape. The songs are overall different but some are similar to the new material. “The Welcoming” on The Fast Escape is a song that Jeff Livingston wrote the music for and I wrote the lyrics and vocal melody. That song kind of reminds me of some of what is on this new record. But even that song has a broader, dreamier kind of sound while this record is a little more immediate. The song structure is a little more traditional on this record. Not completely but on some on the songs.

For example, “Once I’m Dead” is a 2 ½ minute song with pedal steel guitar on it and plucked guitar. It almost sounds like a country song but the sadness of the lyrics of that song fits the music.

FRANK: Let’s talk about that song because that was going to be a question of mine anyway. That was the first single released from this record and I had heard the track in a couple of different forms even before listening to it on the record. Bobby Lerma from The Father Figures came up with an adjective years ago to apply to one of our favorite bands Elbow. That adjective is “subtle”. (Brendan agrees.) I like using that adjective to describe music that almost seems to sneak up on you. The first few times I listened to “Once I’m Dead” I thought to myself, “this is a very good song”, but it did not immediately resonate with me. The last few times I have listened to it I developed a deeper understanding of it. I began to realize that it is a very powerful song. It may be one of the mellower songs on the disc but when you get down to the core of it the song is moving, powerful and intense but in a very subtle manner.

BRENDAN: Thank you. It’s one of those songs that is a bit catchy. I did not realize I could write and sing a catchy melody. What I am saying in that song is so deeply personal and tragic. Lyrically it is very sad and heavy for lack of a better word. The lyrics to that song are disguised by a sort of wilting, country-esque vibe. I wrote that song when someone in my life had some health issues and it poured out of me. It was 5:30 in the morning and I had this idea for a song. It was basically created in a half hour. I recorded the demo you hear on the B-side to the single at that time.

Immediately I thought that I wanted to do with this song what it was calling for. I don’t really care if it’s not a Source Victoria song. Let’s make it what it is and thankfully Rick is a very good guitar player and can play the acoustic guitar and make it sound good. Jon Rauhouse recorded pedal steel parts and adds a beauty to the song that is essential. I love what he did. We also recorded a rock version with Jamie Woolford.

This song helped me to process some things in my life. Ultimately that song is a hopeful song. The last verse is a hopeful verse. It states “I’m not going to have those regrets that I know you have. I won’t be that. I refuse to be that.” Part of that effort is the fact that I wrote that song and I’m writing a record that has ultimately hopeful things. That is why the record is called Slow Luck and not Bad Luck. It’s luck that is slow in coming but eventually shows up.

FRANK: My personal favorite track on Slow Luck is “Nobody Knows But Me”. I hate to say it is a classic Source Victoria song but it definitely fits your past style. What was the inspiration?

BRENDAN: I knew it! It has that eighties, shoegazer type of guitar. Every time we play that song I know you love it. It’s a rock song that has our way of doing a rock song. I wanted it to be a Source Victoria type of song, that Catherine Wheel type of thing. But we have Scott playing drums on it and he does not play like a British drummer, he plays more like Dave Grohl. Lyrically it talks about people who are living with secrets and thinking no one else knows about them. People that think they are opaque are actually transparent, and I am not saying that in a negative way. I mean that it’s okay that we know things about each other. It’s okay that I know you are broken and you should be talking to me about that because I’m broken too. It’s okay to be transparent with me because I will be the same with you. It stems from things that were happening in my life and relationships with various people.

FRANK: “When You Say (Congratulations)” possesses some pretty incendiary lyrics.

BRENDAN: A couple of people wanted that to be the lead track on the record. You and I talked a bit about this before. My belief is the lead track should set the mood for the whole record, be it musically or lyrically. This song was initially going to be an attempt to work with Jim Adkins. He had sent me some drum loops and I was writing guitar parts, so I used the drum track he sent me on “When You Say (Congratulations)”. The opening line is from a conversation I had with someone where I said one thing and totally meant to say something else. The second verse takes that theme and applies it to relationships.

FRANK: We have talked about the contributions that Jon Rauhouse and Jamal Ruhe made on this record. How did Lisa Loeb end up singing back-up vocals on “The Only Road”?

BRENDAN: Amy Ross from Nowhere Man and Whiskey Girl had already contributed backing vocals to “I Know You Well” and “Maybe You’re Right”. We were talking about whom we could ask to do backing vocals on “The Only Road” when Scott Hessel said, “What about Lisa Loeb?” We thought he was joking but as it turns out he has known her for about twenty years. Scott emailed her the track and she replied that she was willing to do it. Chris Testa and Lisa met up at a studio in Los Angeles and she recorded the track. Totally weird and cool! Obviously she gave an amazing performance and really contributed to the song.

I want to add that Matt Maher played piano on that song and others on the record. I met him through Jamal and we have known one another for about 15 years. His contribution to that song (and others on the record) was stunning. Matt really deserves as much credit as anyone for making that song work.

FRANK: The Slow Luck CD release party is just over a week away, the night after Thanksgiving November 25. The show is at the Crescent Ballroom, $10.00 cover includes the CD. Anything special planned for that show?

BRENDAN: It’s not going to be fireworks or anything. The whole point of that show for me is simply to enjoy the night. I have a hard time enjoying playing shows. I love playing but I get very stressed out about things such as, “Are enough people here?” or “Are we too loud? (umm, yes you are …)” I just want to enjoy the fact that I am able to do this at any level. I’m glad that bands I like and good friends are going to be there. Jeff and Chris from Reubens Accomplice, one of my favorite bands, will be playing, Jamal Ruhe is going to do a short set and Colorstore. I just want to enjoy the night. We’re going to play a bunch of songs and hopefully play them well at a venue that sounds sick! I will say that I am going to be playing acoustic guitar on a few tracks, so that should be, um, interesting.

There are also some rumors going around that guest musicians might pop up to help us out with a few tracks. Hopefully that can happen.

FRANK: Anything else you would like to add?

BRENDAN: I’m glad the record is done. I’m happy with all of it and excited. I can’t thank people like Chris Testa enough. He is a huge talent and made the record sound amazing through his engineering and mixing. He was also that somewhat objective third-party that helped us sort out the process of making this record what it is. I’m excited he will be here to help us birth it. I love the artwork (thanks Sam Means) and I really don’t have many regrets with the final product, which is a rarity for me.

Hope you enjoyed this interview folks. I know I had an absolute blast doing it. Hope to see you all Friday evening at the Crescent Ballroom. Cheers!

Source Victoria - "Cactus" (Photo credit: Lindsay Piccinati Murphy)

Hello everybody,

Since this post is going live on Saturday, November 19, that means there is only six more days before the Slow Luck CD release show at the Crescent Ballroom next Friday November 25, the day after Thanksgiving. I am going to be real honest folks, there were three albums that came out this year that I suffered from impatience waiting for the official release date: Father Figures – Lesson Number One; Elbow – build a rocket boys!; Source Victoria – Slow Luck. All three times I have been extremely happy once I had the finished product in my hands. The only thing I have to figure out with the latest release from Source Victoria is where on my Stinkweeds Best Albums Top Ten List Slow Luck will land.

Yes, THIS DISC IS THAT FUCKING GOOD!

This review will appear on the Stinkweeds Reviews page in the near future but I wanted to give anyone that actually reads this blog a chance first. Here we go:

It has been four years since Source Victoria released The Fast Escape, nine tracks of dream pop bliss. Singer/guitarist/songwriter Brendan Murphy is the sole original member left in the band and has surrounded himself with some outstanding talent in the past couple of years. Today’s line-up of Murphy, Aaron Wendt on guitars, keyboards and vocals, Justin Entsminger on bass, Rick Heins on guitars and Scott Hessel on drums, plus contributions from several talented outside musicians all contributed to the 2011 release of Slow Luck. Source fans (like this one) may have been getting impatient for this release since the band started work on Slow Luck the spring of 2010. Folks, this album was well worth the wait, an ultra-impressive piece of work that displays some monumental progression from the band and a stellar mix of the band’s classic style of dreampop, plenty of indie rock and a beautiful style of mellow alternative pop.

Fans have heard the majority of this album live for well over a year now. The production and engineering job by Chris Testa, Murphy and Wendt, plus the mastering job by Jamal Ruhe all combined to make the twelve tracks on Slow Luck sound exceptionally crisp and truly bring Murphy’s vision for this record to life. While not a Murphy solo album per se, this album is definitely an open window into his soul. Some artists have trouble crafting that “personal album” without sounding insincere in the process. That is not the case with Slow Luck; kudos to Murphy for surrounding himself with quality musicians to make this album. This is one of those albums one really needs to take the time to sit down at home, play the album from track one to the end with headphones on to ensure that you are able to hear and discern every note and lyric that went into the recording process.

Slow Luck leads off with “All That You Taught Me”, a mid-tempo indie pop tune that begins with a keyboard intro that almost sounds like a xylophone. It is a delicate way for the song to commence; that is a key component throughout the album. Murphy’s vocals really shine through on this track with Hessel’s work on the drums propelling the song along and Heins adding a sweeping bit of dramatic guitar work.

I am a firm believer in having a solid lead track to hook the listener and make him or her want more. “All That You Taught Me” accomplishes that well. I also believe that track two should be the best song on the album. That is just my belief, but Source Victoria delivered an unbelievable song for track two that reinforces my philosophy, “Nobody Knows But Me”. This track is a stunning piece of indie rock, an explosive tune that immediately grabs hold of the listener with a guitar intro that brilliantly shimmers. I love the powerful three-guitar attack on this song and Murphy’s delivery on vocals is brilliant, but the rhythm work by Entsminger and Hessel truly make this song the special piece of work it is.

“Black Luck, Black Label” possesses some nice harmonies on the vocals between Murphy and Wendt and excellent work on the piano from guest Matt Maher. The chorus on this track is absolutely beautiful and positive. The end of this song leads right into “Taking Me On”, a track dominated by Entsminger’s powerful bass line. “Taking Me On” is a track made for the audience sing-a-long live with the “oh oh” chorus featured throughout the track. Heins brings the track to a close with a solid guitar solo, a unique characteristic for this band.

“Arrogance, Your Best Defense” may be one of the more compelling song titles I have come across in a long time. This track, along with “Little White Lie”, “Acetylene Torch Song”, “I Know You Well” and “Maybe You’re Right” feature Source Victoria doing something they do very well; bringing the tempo way down and pushing the musicianship of the band to the forefront. Whether the backdrop is a gentle sequence on the keyboards and piano or an acoustic guitar, these five songs display a tranquil, poetic side to the band. At the beginning of the review I mentioned the need to put on your headphones to experience the full effect of the music. That is critical on these five tracks. Sam Means played piano on “I Know You Well”, Stacy Piccinati played the cello on “Acetylene Torch Song”, Jamal Ruhe sang backup vocals on “Arrogance, Your Best Defense”, “Acetylene Torch Song” and “I Know You Well”, and Amy Ross contributed backing vocals on “I Know You Well” and “Maybe You’re Right”. “Acetylene Torch Song” may be one of the best songs Murphy has ever written and is a great transition after the intensity of “When You Say (Congratulations)”.

Track number six “The Only Road” fits in well with the five songs mentioned in the preceding paragraph due to the mellow tempo, use of the piano and acoustic guitar. Listeners may recognize the beautiful backing vocals on this track, delivered by none other than Lisa Loeb. Yes, as in “Stay” from Reality Bites Lisa Loeb.

“When You Say (Congratulations)” may be the most incendiary track on the album, a song that talks about an individual making a comment to someone without being fully armed with the facts about the situation. We have all been there, saying something then immediately wanting to take back our words even though no ill will was intended. The scorching lyrics complement well the rock and roll delivery of the music.

The closer to the album was the first single released from Slow Luck, “Once I’m Dead”. This track laid the foundation for the album, a song Murphy wrote one morning while contemplating the direction of his life and examining what mortality truly meant to him. If you click the link I just provided you can download the single from BandCamp, which also gives you the rock and demo versions of this song. I have listened to this song live a number of times but it was just recently that I gave myself an opportunity to really listen to and examine this song. It is a track that will tug on every emotional string in your body; the lyrical content is that intense. However, “Once I’m Dead” truly is a song of empowerment, a song that urges the listener to make the best of what time he or she has, rather than putting things off and not saying what needs to be said to a loved one right now. Bobby Lerma from The Father Figures applied the perfect adjective to my favorite band Elbow years ago; subtle. That adjective is the perfect description of this song, a track that is so simple yet overwhelmingly powerful at the same time. Jon Rauhouse, one of the industry’s best pedal steel guitar players plays on this song and as much as I love the rocking B-side from the single, this album version is what was needed to end this album. I challenge anyone to listen to this song and not feel something.

Former Source Victoria member Jason Sukut contributed to four tracks on the album and contributed to the arrangements on some of Slow Luck. As bummed as I was when he left the band I became equally as excited when Rick Heins joined. His unique style has really helped take Source Victoria in a different direction and transform these songs into the finished product we can enjoy on this album. Justin Entsminger at times reminds me of Nate Mendel on the bass with his smooth but powerful bass lines, Scott Hessel delivers a controlled fury on percussion, Aaron Wendt’s talented handprints are all over every song on the disc and Brendan Murphy simply knows how to write a great pop song. Combine those five talents and you have an outstanding release.

If it is not obvious already I HIGHLY recommend Slow Luck from Source Victoria!

Please make plans to attend the Slow Luck release party next Friday at the Crescent Ballroom. Bring a friend or ten, let’s really pack that place (the coolest venue in town by the way) and support the band. Remember, the $10 cover gets you the disc as well, can’t beat that kind of deal of folks.

Cheers!

I will put these women in alphabetical order rather than try to rank them since they are all phenomenal. My apologies to legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Reba McEntire and Grace Slick; great vocalists, just not my cup of tea. Janis Joplin could not sing a lick so please do not tell me I should have listed her. Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth, Kristin Hersh from Throwing Muses and Belinda Carlisle from The Go-Go’s were all excluded because each is a Sound Strike bitch. F them. So without further adieu:

• Annie Lennox – Eurythmics and solo – Incredible whether she is singing an 80′s new wave tune or classic soul.
  
• Bjork – The Sugarcubes and solo – Unbelievable that such a powerful voice can come out of such a small human being. The first Sugarcubes disc is an absolute classic.
  
• Chrissie Hynde – The Pretenders – After all these years I am still bummed the original Pretenders line-up was only with us for two albums. Get both of them, unbelievable work.
  
• Elizabeth Fraser – Cocteau Twins and solo – The first of two vocalists on this list that sang in her own language. What a gorgeous voice and if you are a fan of the score from the Lord of the Rings you heard her voice in the movie.
  
• Emma Anderson and Miki Berenyi – Lush – Dual lead vocals over some incendiary shoegaze, this band blended power and beauty very, very well.
  
• Exene Cervenka – X – Exene and John Doe formed one of my all-time favorite double lead vocal teams. X is still alive and kicking, go see them at Club Red December 9 if you live here in Phoenix/Tempe or Tucson the next evening.
  
• Harriet Wheeler – The Sundays – The reason for this post. The Sundays played a stunning style of subdued dream pop and Wheeler will go down as one of my all-time favorite vocalists, male or female.
  
• Joan Jett – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and The Runaways – The baddest woman on this list. No other female vocalist kicks ass the way Joan Jett does, but she delivers plenty of material in a pop vein as well. Still, tracks like the ferocious punk-inspired “Bad Reputation” and “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)” are what this listener prefers to hear.
  
• Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson – The B-52′s – The original line-up of The B-52′s created some of the most infectious party-inspired new wave of the late seventies and early eighties. The “Whammy” album was overlooked somewhat but contains my favorite single from the band.
  
• Kazu Makino – Blonde Redhead – I have said it before, I have come to despise the term “epic” when used to describe music because people rarely use it under the right circumstances. It applies to this dream pop band and especially this soaring track.
  
• Linda Hopper – Magnapop – Bob Mould produced this band’s Hot Boxing album. Enough said. I saw this band twice, including a show in which they opened for Mould’s band Sugar. Hopper’s pop style of vocals was the perfect complement to the indie rock stylings of the band.
  
• Lisa Gerrard – Dead Can Dance and solo – Like Elizabeth Fraser this vocalist created her own language when she sang. Dead Can Dance is one of my all-time favorite bands and rumors are they are reuniting in 2012. SWEET! I am in awe every time I hear her voice, she is that incredible.
  
• Pat Benatar – Remember those “I Love the 80′s” episodes on VH1? When they showed the “Love is a Battlefield” video from Benatar Dave Grohl commented he liked the old Benatar better, the one who would say, “I’m going to kick someone’s ass if I don’t get laid right now.” Okay, so I doubt if she really said that but I appreciate the sentiment. Has there ever been a female vocalist that could sing in such a classic operatic style and scare the crap out of men at the same time?
  
• PJ Harvey – The 1993 Rid of Me album from PJ Harvey is a classic, 14 tracks of unadulterated bliss that pummels the senses. No wonder, the album was produced by Big Black’s Steve Albini. Make sure to pay attention to the lyrics when listening to this disc, an incredible follow-up to her amazing debut Dry. PJ Harvey just won her second Mercury Award this year, proving this artist is not just an indie prodigy.
  
• Ritzy Bryan – The Joy Formidable – This band delivered one of my favorite discs of 2010. The 2011 release of The Big Roar is even better and the band has an amazing reputation for their live performances. Check out The Joy Formidable, they are becoming one of the best bands in the industry and Ritzy Bryan’s voice is a wonder to behold.
  
• Rose Carlotti – Heart Throbs – Oh, how I miss this band! Dream pop received a gift when this band started creating music in the late eighties. Carlotti had such a distinct, seductive voice, a true match for the gorgeous pop music this band delivered.
  
• Sharon Jones – Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings – Classic soul lives today thanks to Sharon Jones. Delivering one of the best performances from the 2008 Monolith Festival, Sharon Jones not only possesses an amazing voice but an amazing stage presence as well. If you ever have a chance to attend a Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings performance do so!
  
• Sinead O’Connor – Sinead’s second album I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got may have been her pop breakthrough but you have to check out her debut to get a true representation of just how good she is. “Troy” is another one of those songs that earned the “epic” tag, it is that incredible of a track. Like many artists you have to ignore all the outside drama to appreciate her work as a musician.
  
• Siouxsie Sioux – Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Creatures – One of U.K. punk’s original artists, Siouxsie has traveled all over the musical landscape during her illustrious career. The thing that never changed was that captivating voice of hers. I only had a chance to see her live one time, at the first ever Lollapalooza Festival in 1991 at Compton Terrace.
  
• Yuki Chikudate – Asobi Seksu – Shoegaze and dream pop are alive and well because of bands like Asobi Seksu and at the forefront of the band is the amazing talent of Yuki Chikudate. I have seen this band play live on three occasions and they shred every single time.
  

Other than Celine did I forget anyone? Cheers!

I can’t believe we are already up to November of this year. 2011 went by WAY too fast. There are plenty of great shows this month, one that features one-half of one of my all-time favorite bands, two CD release shows from a couple of great local bands, a band performing that features a member of the Sunnyslope Crew that I have known since grade school and the return of my favorite FatCat Records band after a great show at the Rhythm Room last year. I will miss a few of these because I will be in Seattle November 9-14, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings one night, The Appleseed Cast another and lots of coffee in between. The weather is finally getting nice, a perfect opportunity to get out of the house and enjoy some good shows around town. Anyway, here we go!

Thursday November 3 – Peter Murphy – Marquee Theatre. The true Godfather of Goth in my opinion with due respect to Andrew Eldritch, Peter Murphy has created some pretty spectacular work over the years, both as the leader of Bauhaus and a solo artist since 1986. His third solo release Deep still ranks as one of my all-time favorite albums. I had the fortune of seeing him perform twice at Mesa Amphitheatre during the tour for that album, once two or three years ago at the Marquee Theatre and once during a Bauhaus reunion (ten years or so ago maybe?) at Mesa Amphitheatre. His latest album Ninth does very little for me but I am sure classics such as “Cuts You Up”, “All Night Long” and “A Strange Kind of Love” will be in the set.

Friday November 4 – Bob Log III and Dirty Hairy – Chopper Johns. Whoa, whoa, whoa, THE Bob Log III at Chopper Johns? Folks, this show will be out of control, Bob Log III is a one-man show that plays the slide guitar while wearing a full body human cannonball suit and a pilot’s helmet wired to a telephone receiver. I can still remember the Doo Rag days from years ago. I’m sure the rest of the Sunnyslope Crew does as well. Dirty Hairy opens and from talking to longtime friend from the Desert View days, lead singer Shelton Valentine, there will be more “give-a-ways” during this performance. I still have my official Dirty Hairy ball, need a set.

Saturday and Sunday, November 5-6 – Downtown Chamber Series – Ice House. Dario Miranda from Stinkweeds ALWAYS puts this show as his Staff Pick for the Silver Platter and since he is a true music resource it is time I take his advice. Click the Downtown Chamber Series link I provided for more information since I am a complete novice to this performance.

Tuesday November 8 – We Were Promised Jetpacks and Bear Hands – Crescent Ballroom. WWPJ and Bear Hands played together at the Rhythm Room February 23 last year and the show was among my Top Ten Concerts for 2010. We Were Promised Jetpacks quite simply are one of the most intense bands creating music at the present time, but they deliver music loaded with pop hooks as well. It makes for one incredible style of music and one ferocious show live. The band’s new album In the Pit of the Stomach may be better than their debut full-length from 2009, a very frightening proposition. Bear Hands were terrific that evening as well so looking forward to seeing them again. Plus, this will be my first venture into the main venue at the Crescent Ballroom, sweet!

Saturday November 12 – The Father Figures and Labor Party – George and Dragon. ARGH! One of THREE shows on Saturday November 12 I will miss. However, I am not apologizing for being in Seattle that week. The Father Figures will be opening for X on December 9 so I will have another chance to see them this year. You should know by now how much I love this band, go find out why for yourself. They played a killer opening set for JFA at Hollywood Alley in October. Labor Party smokes as well, a killer three-piece garage rock and punk band that destroys when they play live.

Saturday November 12 – Autumn’s End CD release show – The Clubhouse. VERY important show my friends! I am very selective about the metal I listen to and Autumn’s End has been a primo choice for years. Chris Cannella is a magician on the axe, delivering ultra-brutal riffs that pummel the senses. I’m fortunate enough to own their debut EP, self-titled full-length debut and their sophomore effort Act of Attrition. This show is the official CD release party for the band’s third full-length The Siren’s Lament. The disc comes out nationally in January 2012 but the locals can get it now. This is not your stereotypical death metal folks, these guys throw some very cool and unique twists and turns in the music to keep it interesting. Plus, they seriously shred hard! Sorry I will be out-of-town for this Chris.

Saturday November 12 – The Love Nots – Crescent Ballroom. Option #3 for you folks that are in town (unlike me) that weekend. The Love Me Nots have been playing out here in town quite a bit lately, I hope you have taken the time to go see at least one of their shows because they are an enormously talented band. There are plenty of hooks mixed in with the 60′s garage rock they create, an outstanding combination. If you have to miss this show they will also be opening for X on December 9 at Club Red!

Sunday November 13 – Funeral Party – Marquee Theatre. I am up and down in regards to the Funeral Party. They have some extremely catchy and fun tunes but too many that leave me shaking my head. “New York City Moves to the Sound of L.A.” is a great song though.

Monday November 14 – Chameleons vox, Black Swan Lane and The Captives – Rhythm Room. Rather than try to create something new about this concert I think I will copy and paste what I wrote for the Silver Platter about this show, my current staff pick. Needless to say I am incredibly stoked for this show and will be right up front, staring in utter awe of the magnificence of Mark Burgess the entire show.

The impact Manchester bred The Chameleons had on the world of post punk still resonates in a huge way today. This brilliant band created three amazing studio albums between 1981-1987 before disbanding. The Chameleons briefly reunited in 2000 but three years later dissolved once again. Fast forward six years and singer/bassist Mark Burgess and second drummer Jon Lever began playing together once again, this time as Chameleons vox. Joining Chameleons vox are Neil Dwerryhouse on guitar from Sons of God, a Burgess solo project, and guitarist Chris Oliver and bassist Ray Bowles from the Manchester band Bushart. The Chameleons never became the massive band they should have been, but Chameleons vox brings to life 24 years after the end of the band’s original run the incredible catalog in concert. Expect to hear plenty of amazing gems from Script of the Bridge, What Does Anything Mean? Basically and Strange Times.
The Chameleons influence is part of Black Swan Lane as well, as the band was formed in 2007 by Jack Sobel and John Kolbeck, formerly of The Messengers and Mark Burgess. The band released its fourth album Staring Down The Path Of Sound back in August of this year, the first without Burgess as part of the project. Lauren Fay joined Sobel and Kolbeck on the album, providing backing vocals.
Phoenix’s own dream pop band The Captives have not played in quite a while, so this show is a welcome return for the band. Tom Laman on vocals and Eddie Lebario on guitars form a great combination and the beautiful guitars from Lebario simply shimmer.
The Rhythm Room is going to be a great, intimate setting for such a great show, don’t miss this!

This could be the show of the year folks!

Saturday November 19 – Sacred Reich – Foundry on First. Hey, they were one of the better local thrash metal bands back in the day along with the Jason Newsted-era Flotsam and Jetsam. I think I still have 1987′s Ignorance on vinyl.

Sunday November 20 – Fishbone – Crescent Ballroom. These guys were sooooooo good back in the day, I still remember an unbelievable show at The Metro on 7th Avenue and Camelback back in high school. They also played a very good show opening for The Cramps years ago at Desert Sky Pavilion for one of those radio fests here in town (don’t think it was a KUKQ fest, anyone know?). I also remember a serious POS performance from them at the Electric Ballroom (pretty sure that was the third venue I saw them at), so have not made a point of seeing them again. What the heck though? It would be fun to see “Ugly”, “Lyin’ Ass Bitch”, “Sunless Saturday” or “It’s a Wonderful Life (Gonna Have a Good Time)” performed live again.

Sunday November 20 – Morrissey – Orpheum Theatre. I would go see Fishbone before The Moz but this still provides an interesting option. I saw a few songs from Morrissey at Coachella 2009 and he still sounds pretty good. Too bad the personal politics are so irritating. Seriously, you are going to complain during a festival that you can smell meat? Morrissey has created some wonderful singles over the years. Unfortunately, other than his third solo offering, the amazing Your Arsenal from 1992, his albums are pretty inconsistent.

Tuesday November 22 – Sting – Comerica Theatre. Lots of ego but it is hard to ignore what this artist has created since The Police broke up in 1986. I will probably blow off the concert and just listen to 1994′s Fields of Gold compilation, but you never know.

Wednesday November 23 – Pinky Tuscadero’s White Knuckle Assfuck and Bourbon Witch – Hollywood Alley. Yes folks, you read the name of that first band correctly. Pinky is one of the former bands bassist/lead singer Tom Reardon from The Father Figures played in during his career. Bourbon Witch is the brainchild of Rob Birmingham. “Fun Bobby” used to be an Arizona resident and will be visiting Arizona for the Thanksgiving holiday. Come celebrate Fun Bobby’s birthday at Hollywood Alley this evening. What the hell, Thanksgiving is the next day so you can sleep in!

Friday November 25 – Source Victoria CD release show – Crescent Ballroom. FINALLY! I have been raving about this band since I first saw them open for Adam Franklin January 15, 2010. I have no idea how many times I have seen them play since then; it’s a lot, I know that. Frontman Brendan Murphy told me March of last year the band was going into the studio to work on a follow-up to 2007′s The Fast Escape. I am sure it had to be frustrating for the band how long this process has taken, but as a fan I can tell you the wait has been brutal. No longer! Great songs that I have been seeing the band perform live for the past year-plus including “Nobody Knows But Me” and “Once I’m Dead” are finally on disc. This is going to be a very special evening folks and I cannot emphasize enough how much I hope tons of people show up for this CD release party. Bring your family and friends that are in town for the Thanksgiving holiday, this will be a great way to spend the evening after a day of shopping for Black Friday. I understand that Colorstore has been added to the bill, wonderful!

As always, please let me know if I forgot any shows my friends. Now get off your ass and get to some shows.

Cheers!