W♥M (Archive)

The May Fire

The May Fire - Under The Wave The May Fire Tour Dates 08/06/08 San Diego, CA Beauty Bar 08/07/08 LA, CA Knitting Factory 08/08/08 San Clemente, CA OC Tavern 08/09/08 Pomona, CA Glass House 08/11/08 Phoenix, AZ Modified 08/12/08 Las Vegas, NV The Mirage 08/13/08 Tucson, AZ Sharks 08/14/08 El Paso, TX Take 2 08/15/08 Austin, TX Antones 08/16/08 Monterrey, Mexico El Garage 08/18/08 Dallas, TX Club Dada 08/19/08 Houston, TX Warehouse Live 08/20/08 Manhattan, KS Kathouse 08/21/08 Bridgeport, IL Friendly Fire 08/22/08 Chicago, IL The Metro 08/24/08 Minneapolis, MN  400 Bar 08/25/08 St. Paul, MN Eclipse 08/27/08 Omaha, NE Shea Riley's 08/28/08 Englewood, CO Falcon Bowl 08/29/08 SL City, UT Burts Tiki Lounge 08/30/08 Nampa. ID Flying M Coffee 09/01/08 Portland, OR East End 09/02/08 Seattle, WA High Dive 09/03/08 Eugene, OR WOW Hall 09/04/08 SF, CA Red Devil Lounge 09/05/08 Walnut Creek, CA Betty's Rock 09/06/08 Monterey, CA Underground 09/07/08 Salinas, CA Fox Theatre 09/08/08 Fresno, CA Audie's Olympic 09/10/08 Oakland, CA The Uptown 09/11/08 Reno, NV Satellite 09/12/08 San Jose, CA Blank Club 09/13/08 Bakersfield, CA Narducci's 09/14/08 Victorville, CA Karma

San Francisco's The May Fire has a certain sort of Sonic Youth/Sleater-Kinneynity (Sleater-Kinnectivity?) that while not unique, is surprisingly pleasing in a familiar sort of way - like accidentally discovering that the bistro down the street makes pasta that tastes almost like mom used to make. The May Fire's newest EP, "The List," released today, is actually the third installment of a trilogy of bite-sized offerings. Having not actually heard the previous two EPs, I'm only left to assume that this album has context in a measure of the whole… whether that's a reasonable assumption, I don't know. What I do know is that this particular fuzzy, noise rock offering is fun, a nice summer riot enjoyably reminiscent of early 90's girl grunge.

Lead singer Catty Tasso has a voice built for this sort of unpolished, raw rock - deep, scratchy and with modest range - and I mean that affectionately. I mean; it works. For the most part. The album has its flashes of talent and its occasional shades of mediocrity, but the whole offering is carried by the fourth track, "Under The Wave." After I've listened to the first three tracks and the fourth begins to fade in, I feel much as the parent of a "C" student who finally brings home an "A" paper who berates "This just proves you can do it. Now I expect you to get an 'A' every time."

Unreasonable? Probably. But the "Under The Wave" track takes what would normally be just a passable EP and ramps it up a notch, proving that the May Fire, with a little more study, can yet become a band that ruins the grading curve for everybody else.

Links: www.themayfire.com myspace.com/themayfire

 08/05/2008 14:16:20  ♥ written by andrew ()

Polara "Beekeeping" Album Release Show with The Alarmists, The Mood Swings and Mercurial Rage Friday

The Alarmists - She Will Love Again (Hey Kid) The Alarmists Tour Dates 05/14/08 First Ave Minneapolis, MN 05/30/08 Upfront & Company Marquette, MI 05/31/08 Upfront & Company Marquette, MI 06/07/08 Fine Line Music Minneapolis, MN 06/14/08 UW Terrace Madison, WI 06/28/08 Triple Rock  Minneapolis, MN 07/05/08 Summerfest Milwaukee, WI 07/12/08 St. John Center  Rochester, MN

     Just two weeks short of 13 years since I'd first seen Polara, I visited Minneapolis' Varsity Theater to see if they were still the band I remembered so fondly.

     Their first opener, Mercurial Rage, performed an entertaining, if not amazing, electro-rock set. Being the fashionably late sort, I actually missed most of it, so it wouldn't be fair to judge them entirely, but I did see some potential there and certainly didn't dislike what I saw. The Faint meets INXS, perhaps. They seemed a bit like a work in progress. I'll definitely have to check them out again down the line.

     Thoroughly exploiting my weakness for co-ed punk were the Mood Swings. The Mood Swings are what I would call no-scream girl-punk. Sometimes I forget that female-vocalized punk can still have an edge and an energy without being angry or harsh (Though in all honesty: the good stuff is often both). This narrow-mindedness is no doubt due to stubborn attachment to my Bikini Kill, Babes in Toyland and Muffs collections. But anyway The Mood Swings were lovely. Check out myspace.com/themoodswings and listen to No Limit, my personal favorite. I think you'll find "Lovely" is an apt descriptor).

 

Polara - E Flat

     Polara chose not to play last, instead allowing the Alarmists to take that spot, saying they would be able to more enjoy their release show that way. It had been over two years since their last live show, and I was impressed at how effortlessly they hit the stage running. No sign of rust whatsoever. Lead singer/guitarist Ed Ackerson took to the stage looking - with his disheveled hair and trademark clunky glasses - less like a rock star and more like someone at the IT desk who would help you reset your password. As a whole, the band looked both very natural on stage and very much as if they enjoyed themselves, soaking in the attention with humble professionalism. And why not? There were enough photographers darting back and forth in front of the stage to make me wonder when Posh Spice would make her appearance. It was a good set, actually even better than I remembered them and certainly well worth the hype.

     Then, at exactly midnight, it was time for my first glimpse of the Alarmists. I soon became aware that, like Cinderellas in reverse, dozens of 18 to 25-year old women had appeared as if from nowhere to join the ball, flooding forward in order to gaze in rapt attention at the poster-ready boys who took the stage. I thought their set was good, indie, post-punk hard rock - not typically conducive to legions of screaming girls, on the face of it - but as I attempted to peer over the impenetrable wall of Scandinavian female flesh, I could only arrive at one conclusion: these boys must be dreamy hot. The highlight of their set - the highlight for me anyway, and likely also for the male hipsters who had largely by this point retreated to a safe distance - was when they called Ed Ackerson back to the stage in an old(er) meets young(er) set evoking Neil Young with Pearl Jam. Don't roll your eyes at me. The song was Cinnamon Girl, OK? Alright then.

The Mood Swings ♥ photo by andrew

Polara ♥ photo by andrew

The Alarmists ♥ photo by andrew

Links: myspace.com/polara thealarmistsband.com myspace.com/themoodswings www.susstones.com

 05/12/2008 19:36:38  ♥ written by andrew ()

Polara - Beekeeping

Polara - E Flat Polara Rating:

     Polara possesses what I consider the classic Twin Cities rock sound - distort guitars and crisp vocals which provide just enough of a radio-friendly pop-rock feel to appeal to the masses while retaining enough artistic originality to placate even the most snobby hipster (that's me). Some call it "noise-pop," others "psychedelic." I call it ear-candy. I call it bliss. I call it Saturday afternoons in spring 1995 spent writing e-mails to local bands begging them to "please play more all-ages shows." I call it vintage Minneapolis. 

      Polara continues their long-standing relationship with the Susstones label with their first full-length since 2002, "Beekeeping," released today. (Incidentally: it's my opinion that Susstones is the most underrated Twin-cities-based label in business today). This album is simply quintessential Polara. Ed Ackerson, Jennifer Jurgens and Peter Anderson have turned out the kind of quality effort I've come to expect in every offering since their 1995 self-titled debut. With rockers like "E-Flat" and "Out Of Your Hands," Ackerson's agreeably sweet voice balances the guitar-work like the second spoonful of sugar in my deliciously powerful French roast. And like that coffee, it's filled me with a sort of heady euphoria that will have me buzzing around the neighborhood for hours. With 11 tracks coming in at a brisk 39 minutes, this album is a must-buy for any Minneapolis rock fan - or anyone wondering just what the hell I'm going on about all the time.

     If you can; check out Polara's album release show at the Varsity Theater this Friday (May 9th). Fellow Susstones acts The Alarmists, The Mood Swings and Mercurial Rage open.

Links: myspace.com/polara www.susstones.com

 05/06/2008 03:38:58  ♥ written by andrew ()

Cloud Cult: Feel Good Ghosts (Tea Partying Through Tornadoes)

Cloud Cult - No One Said It Would Be Easy Cloud Cult "Chemicals Collide" from 2007's "The Meaning of 8" Tour Dates 04/25/08 Schuba’s Tavern Chicago, IL 04/25/08 Schuba’s Tavern Chicago, IL 04/26/08 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN 05/06/08 Elks Theater Rapid City, SD 05/07/08 Filling Station Bozeman, MT 05/08/08 The Loft Missoula, MT 05/09/08 Neumos Seattle, WA 05/10/08 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR 05/13/08 Bottom of the Hill SF, CA 05/14/08 Knitting Factory Hollywood, CA 05/16/08 Belly Up Aspen, CO 05/17/08 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO 05/18/08 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO 05/19/08 Slowdown Omaha, NE

     Minneapolis experimental rockers Cloud Cult are primarily the creation of singer/songwriter Craig Minowa. It was originally started as a solo act in 1995 and has periodically added members since then, including bassist Shawn Neary, formerly of Tapes N' Tapes, and live visual artists, Connie Minowa - Craig's wife - and Scott West, who actually create a painting apiece during each of the band's live performances which are later auctioned off.

     On April 8th, Cloud Cult released their eighth album, "Feel Good Ghosts (Tea Partying Through Tornadoes)," which is, as should be expected from previous offerings, a spooky, passionate art-rock fever dream that impresses further with every listen. Featuring an interplay of haunting cello, cartoonish violin and crashing drums, Minowa and company have cultivated a sound which feels to me like the unlikely pairing of Mike Patton and Sufjan Stevens. As always, there's an undeniable tone of despair and desperation to Feel Good Ghosts, with a sort of urgent longing, pain, and helplessness that has become their trademark. But there also seems to be an underlying current of optimism running throughout that was perhaps less prominent in their previous offerings. Historically, much of their material has lyrically taken root in catharsis of the 2002 death of Craig and Connie Minowa's infant son. There can be no doubt in their latest work that it still weighs heavily, but there seems to be something of an emotional upturn to this album - even chronologically within the album - the first track is titled "No One Said it Would be Easy" the seventh "The Ghost Inside Our House" and the final three songs "May Your Hearts Stay Strong," "The Will of a Volcano" and "Love You All." It's in this way that the album feels like an epilogue to me, like the conflict resolution and the last few thoughts at the end of an epic novel. Admittedly, I come to these conclusions influenced by the knowledge that the band has announced its plans to pack it in - at least for the near future - following their current tour. Here's hoping for sequels…

     In case you need more convincing: They're one of the most environmentally-conscious groups you'll ever come across. Their self-published not-for-profit label Earthology Records uses a geothermal-powered studio and prints on recycled paper with ink made from vegetable oils. The band also travels in a biodiesel van and they plant 10 trees for every thousand albums they sell. Now if they could just perfect the sweat-powered amplifier, those all ages shows would be a breeze.

 04/24/2008 18:43:56  andrew my♥posts cloudcult.com myspace.com

Kid Dakota

Kid Dakota - Chutes + Ladders Darren Jackson, Ian Prince Tour Dates 04/05/08 American Legion Buffalo, MN 04/05/08 Ritz Theatre Minneapolis, MN 04/11/08 Schubas Tavern Chicago, lL 04/22/08 The Red Stag Minneapolis, MN 05/06/08 Elks Theatre Rapid City, SD* 05/07/08 Filling Station Bozeman, MT* 05/08/08 The Loft Missoula, Montana* 05/09/08 Neumos Seattle, Washington* 05/10/08 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR* 05/13/08 Bottom of the Hill SF, CA* 05/14/08 Knitting Factory Hollywood, CA* 05/16/08 Belly Up Aspen, Colorado* 05/17/08 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO* 05/18/08 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO* 05/19/08 The Slowdown Omaha, NE* 05/22/08 Schlachthof Wiesbaden 05/23/08 Gebaude 9 Köln 05/24/08 Moritzbastei Leipzig 05/25/08 Lido Berlin 05/26/08 Treibhaus Luzern 05/27/08 Fri-Son Firbourg 05/29/08 Orangehouse München 05/30/08 Patronaat Haarlem 05/31/08 Vinylbaren Malmö 06/03/08 Kinky Star Ghent 06/26/08 Triple Rock Minneapolis, MN [*] with Cloud Cult Discography [2001] So Pretty [2004] The West Is the Future [2008] A Winner's Shadown

I'm the first to admit my shameless devotion to the Minneapolis music scene, but Kid Dakota deserves special consideration. The product of singer / songwriter / guitarist/ engineer / all-around- dynamo Darren Jackson on guitar, keyboard and vocals, Kid Dakota also features drummer Ian Prince (formerly of Houston and the Dames and currently of Story of the Sea). Jackson, a South Dakota native, is also a producer in his own right, running a recording studio built into his house, where he has worked on albums by the Owls, Ice Palace and Vicious Vicious.

Kid Dakota's third album "A Winner's Shadow," released March 11th, is an impressive effort that, while it could never be called poppy, on some occasions manages to just barely flirt with catchy refrains that - no joke - actually had me singing to myself as I woke up a few days ago. The album opens as an eerie pulse with "New York System" and howls a ballad with "Stars" before delivering a knockout punch with the distorted twang of "Chutes and Ladders," and despite the up-tempo vigor with which the album opens, it gradually progresses into a sort of sleepy despair, often lyrically evoking images of a cold but vibrant cityscape, all culminated with final tracks "Downhill" and "Fallout." Both are wails in the dark which particularly justify Darren Jackson's frequent vocal comparison to Thom Yorke. It is this voice which has provided (as all evidence indicates) the haunting soundtrack to my dreams these past few nights.

Blurry drumming in every photo: Kid Dakota at the Turf Club March 28th. ♥ photograph by Andrew

Having recently caught Kid Dakota's live show, my respect for this band has become open admiration. Ian Prince is a beast on drums. There's just no other word for it. Beast. Pulling double-duty that evening drumming with Story of the Sea makes his superhuman energy all the more impressive. Those two definitely dial up an intensity in their live shows that could never truly be appreciated in a recording. Don't let that keep you from picking up this album, though - just do yourself a favor and see them live as well.

Kid Dakota "Stars" music video

 

 04/04/2008 02:06:16  Andrew my♥posts kiddakota.com myspace.com