An idiosyncratic blog dedicated to the precursors, the practioners, and the descendants of power pop.
All suggestions for postings and sidebar links welcome, contact any of us.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Your Tuesday Moment of Indolence.
Just not movin' and groovin' with my usual alacrity today.
Steve, Since the floor is open for comments/info, I thought you might like to know that the BATMAN TV series (starring Adam West) is finally coming out on DVD. WARNER VIDEO is releasing a box set containing all 120 episodes, plus scads of extra features, in mid-November. Consumers who have more modest budgets will be able to purchase just the first season separately. Admittedly, this news, strictly speaking, is not Power Pop, but since 60s music hitmakers Lesley Gore and Chad & Jeremy were both on the show, it's at least Pop, and that's close enough, at the moment, for me, especially since this show (frustratingly, for its many fans) has been a Missing Piece of the home video puzzle for far too long. I guess Warners, and the people who created the comic book character, finally came to a financial arrangement. Holy corporate cooperation !
More info: 6-CD Dylan "Basement Tapes" box, and 2-CD distillation of that 6-CD set, also coming in November. (As well, 3-LP set coming for vinyl lovers).
Alacrity is vastly overrated. saw Television at Barclays Center opening for Arcade Fire on Sunday evening. Never saw them the first time around, though I've seen Lloyd and Verlaine as solos. No Lloyd this time of course, and there's a fairly accurate review of the entire show at http://www.newsweek.com/dancing-skeletons-boys-high-heels-and-david-byrne-arcade-fires-barclays-center-blow-266585
My review is that Arcade Fire was OK, but a bit too much on the anthem-with martial-drumming-sort of thing for me, though I recognized more songs from REFLEKTOR than I thought I would have after just 4 or 5 listens. Nice big show they put on, but I really couldn't care less, or more -- about suburbia, Black Orpheus or women musicians wearing lace glovelets. But that's me.
Opener on Sunday was The Unicorns, a 3-piece Montreal band with nice pop songs, but who were way over their heads in such a large place. By the way, that'll be the last time I go to see a concert at Barclays. I was reminded why I stopped going to stadium-type shows -- too many people and lousy sound.
Television was OK, and they too were overwhelmed with having to fill Barclays with sound, though midway through their set, the Barclays sound engineer started to get their (Television's) sound right.
Dan Deacon, whose most recent album now makes sense to me -- none -- was both fun and ridiculous as he played camp counselor-St. Vitus DJ to what appeared to me to be floor-standing ADHD-saddled young adults who I imagined to be 1. coked up, or pretending to be, and 2. eager to follow party orders from a nutso commandant, and 3. reliving summer-camp color-wars happy days.
Sara (my wife) and I got to our seats just before The Unicorns went on, and I swear the place was 90% empty. But by the time Arcade Fire made their walk-through-the crowd WWE-style ring entrance, the place looked 95% or more filled to me. We left, after about an hour of Arcade Fire, with what looked like -- from their set list -- about another 30 or 40 minutes left.
I noted that some of the young women in the audience appeared to be dressed (or dressed up) for the show, taking cues perhaps from Arcade Fire or past Arcade Fire shows. Or maybe they just don't get out that often. Nice youngish overwhelming white Brooklyn crowd, though.
Mark: I'd be bummed if I went to see Television and their set was only 30 minutes. Guess I'm old and set in my ways, but have found very few newer bands that excite me and can sustain my interest. Mediocrity seems to be king.
Vickie Rock - At Marshall Crenshaw with the Bottle Rockets right now checking my levels.
I'm a poached egg without a piece of toast. Yorkshire pudding without a beef to roast.
ReplyDeleteVickie Rock - Kiss Me, Stupid
Steve,
ReplyDeleteSince the floor is open for comments/info, I thought you might like to know that the BATMAN TV series (starring Adam West) is finally coming out on DVD. WARNER VIDEO is releasing a box set containing all 120 episodes, plus scads of extra features, in mid-November. Consumers who have more modest budgets will be able to purchase just the first season separately. Admittedly, this news, strictly speaking, is not Power Pop, but since 60s music hitmakers Lesley Gore and Chad & Jeremy were both on the show, it's at least Pop, and that's close enough, at the moment, for me, especially since this show (frustratingly, for its many fans) has been a Missing Piece of the home video puzzle for far too long. I guess Warners, and the people who created the comic book character, finally came to a financial arrangement. Holy corporate cooperation !
J. Lag
More info: 6-CD Dylan "Basement Tapes" box, and 2-CD distillation of that 6-CD set, also coming in November. (As well, 3-LP set coming for vinyl lovers).
ReplyDeleteJ. Lag
Alacrity is vastly overrated. saw Television at Barclays Center opening for Arcade Fire on Sunday evening. Never saw them the first time around, though I've seen Lloyd and Verlaine as solos. No Lloyd this time of course, and there's a fairly accurate review of the entire show at http://www.newsweek.com/dancing-skeletons-boys-high-heels-and-david-byrne-arcade-fires-barclays-center-blow-266585
ReplyDeleteMy review is that Arcade Fire was OK, but a bit too much on the anthem-with martial-drumming-sort of thing for me, though I recognized more songs from REFLEKTOR than I thought I would have after just 4 or 5 listens. Nice big show they put on, but I really couldn't care less, or more -- about suburbia, Black Orpheus or women musicians wearing lace glovelets. But that's me.
Opener on Sunday was The Unicorns, a 3-piece Montreal band with nice pop songs, but who were way over their heads in such a large place. By the way, that'll be the last time I go to see a concert at Barclays. I was reminded why I stopped going to stadium-type shows -- too many people and lousy sound.
Television was OK, and they too were overwhelmed with having to fill Barclays with sound, though midway through their set, the Barclays sound engineer started to get their (Television's) sound right.
Dan Deacon, whose most recent album now makes sense to me -- none -- was both fun and ridiculous as he played camp counselor-St. Vitus DJ to what appeared to me to be floor-standing ADHD-saddled young adults who I imagined to be 1. coked up, or pretending to be, and 2. eager to follow party orders from a nutso commandant, and 3. reliving summer-camp color-wars happy days.
Sara (my wife) and I got to our seats just before The Unicorns went on, and I swear the place was 90% empty. But by the time Arcade Fire made their walk-through-the crowd WWE-style ring entrance, the place looked 95% or more filled to me. We left, after about an hour of Arcade Fire, with what looked like -- from their set list -- about another 30 or 40 minutes left.
I noted that some of the young women in the audience appeared to be dressed (or dressed up) for the show, taking cues perhaps from Arcade Fire or past Arcade Fire shows. Or maybe they just don't get out that often. Nice youngish overwhelming white Brooklyn crowd, though.
Mark: I'd be bummed if I went to see Television and their set was only 30 minutes. Guess I'm old and set in my ways, but have found very few newer bands that excite me and can sustain my interest. Mediocrity seems to be king.
ReplyDeleteVickie Rock - At Marshall Crenshaw with the Bottle Rockets right now checking my levels.