Plus: Lupe Fatigue In Milwaukee
A loose collection of whatnot.
1. Wilco Down Under.
“It’s been ten years since Wilco – the Chicago band who have become standard bearers for rustic American art-rock – first popped into town,” Russell Baillie writes for the New Zealand Herald.
“Back then, they were way down the bill on a secondary stage at the 2003 Big Day Out. From memory, frontman Jeff Tweedy was not in the best mood that: ‘We went to Waiheke yesterday,’ he deadpanned to small crowd before him, ‘that’s our anecdote.’
“But now on their fourth New Zealand visit – fifth if you count the time Tweedy and three bandmates spent in 2008 on Neil Finn’s second Seven Worlds Collide project – here was Wilco in front of a packed Auckland Town Hall finishing off the Down Under tour for 2011 album The Whole Love and having an infectiously good time. Their past NZ shows had been intense sit-down chamber-rock affairs. With a big standing huddle down the front, and the galleries filled above, this one felt sweatier, friendlier and more celebratory. A chatty funny Tweedy sure had more than one anecdote, and even made friends with the security woman standing at his feet.”
2. Alkaline Out West.
“Alkaline Trio’s ninth album, in stores Tuesday, dispenses with the Chicago band’s usual goth/horror imagery and replaces it with driving, streamlined tracks powered by refreshing blasts of undiluted pop/punk,” Sam Gnerre writes for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group.
“Alkaline Trio’s playing has an energy and a focus throughout that some of its recent work has lacked, and all its tracks are built upon strong, carefully constructed melodies. These songs explode out of the speakers, bassist Dan Andriano and drummer Derek Grant forming an unshakable foundation for lead guitarist Matt Skiba’s soaring guitar riffs.”
3. Dagger Swagger.
“On Record Store Day (April 20), Thrill Jockey will be releasing the final album by visceral (and sadly no longer active) Baltimore punks Double Dagger, 333,” The Quietus reports. Here’s “Heretic’s Hymn”:
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4. BR5-49.
5. Redd Kross.
6. Who Needs Critics?
7. Implodes, Acteurs, Population.
8. Lupe Fatigue.
“Last week Harley Davidson announced the initial acts for their 110th anniversary celebration, taking place on the Summerfest grounds, August 29 – August 31,” Geraud Blanks writes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“Boasting 60 performers, there are still many artists yet to be confirmed. However, the preliminary list of hip-hop acts looks like this: Chicagoans Lupe Fiasco and Common. That’s it, that’s the list.
“Really? Lupe Fiasco, again?”
9. Chief Keef To Play Peoria.
10. CIMMfest.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on April 11, 2013