Bandcrab

Behold the future of guitar!

QueenCrab — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:40:04 +0000

Tom Shaper, inventor of the Jaspberbridge, performs in Redondo Beach, Calif., in July 2011. Photo by Melissa Bobbitt.

As our world evolves, it becomes more imperative that we master numerous skills in order to survive. Specialization in only one sector will lead to extinction: in the workplace, in social areas and now in music. Hyphenates rule the future, and Tom Shaper’s Jasperbridge percussion guitar is leading the revolution.

Read my interview with Tom Shaper at PhantEye!

Concert review – Of Montreal/Deerhoof

QueenCrab — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:10:37 +0000

Photo by Melissa Bobbitt

The play’s the thing for Kevin Barnes. Caked in pixie-ish stage makeup and an infantile costume raided from Pinocchio’s closet, he embodied the Performer. His is a breed of spectacle, a rarity in indie rock, a supernova of absurdity but somehow poignancy, too. Barnes is the philosopher peacock with a morose streak, the mad hatter who laughs (and dances) through his tears. By emphasizing the surreal and refracting reality, he becomes the pillar of truth in song.

His band, Of Montreal (not actually from Montreal but rather Georgia), is the modern-day Spiders from Mars. Flanking their flamboyant leader at the art deco haven the Wiltern in Los Angeles, the players looked as though they were a group that landed instead of formed back in the ’90s.

Read more at PopMatters!

Interview – Bethany Paradise

QueenCrab — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:48:10 +0000

There’s a revolutionary sound coming out of Manchester. No, it’s not a Brit-pop redux. This is Manchester, New Hampshire, the unlikely hearth of a new hip-hop goddess-in-training. Bethany Paradise, a rap impresario with impressive pipes to boot, has big-time dreams with an underground appeal. We caught up with this thuggish filly via email to learn a little bit more about her “Coco Glamourus” style.

Read the interview at PhantEye!

Interview – Scars on 45

QueenCrab — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:55:15 +0000

Photo courtesy Atlantic Records

Many bands’ roads to success have been paved in gold, but the cobbled road Scars on 45 took came with a silver lining. The gossamer-pop/rock outfit from Leeds, England took a long and winding journey to where they are now, but singer/songwriter Danny Bemrose and his mates are grateful for the blessings in disguise.

It’s raining when we get a chance to speak with the genial Bemrose over the phone. Scars are on their way to Vancouver to a gig with their fellow “Grey’s Anatomy” soundtrack veterans the Fray. It’s cold and dreary, but he’s practically beaming through the receiver.

As though in a daydream, he says elatedly, “I’m actually going to be playing on Jay Leno.” His band had just gotten word from their people that they’d be gracing the “Tonight Show” stage later this week, a dream come true for this working-class, down-to-earth group.

Their effervescent brand of heartfelt music has struck a chord with American audiences, thanks to key placements in TV shows such as “The Cleaner” and “One Tree Hill.” Bemrose’s consoling vocals intertwine with the gamine responses of Aimee Driver, songs of beautiful hurt that we all can relate to. And all this before they even release their first full-length record (self-titled, due April 10 on Atlantic).

But what seems like an overnight success in the States is a result of befuddlement in their home country.

“I asked the other guys, ‘How on earth did we get to play Jay Leno?’ I have no idea!” Bemrose says. “I mean, two years ago, we weren’t signed. No one paid any interest whatsoever. We did a gig in our hometown, and even our families couldn’t be bothered to show up. It’s just one of those things that I think is a testament to how hard you work.”

And work they did. For nearly two years, the fivesome (aided in concert by additional guitarist Matthew Baxter) cocooned themselves to outside influences to hone their sound. Bemrose likens Scars’ material to their more “song-based” countrymen such as Coldplay and Adele, and because of that, he says his band couldn’t find the right niche in Britain’s boisterous music realm. (It doesn’t help that because it’s easier to get a cab in Leeds than, say, Omaha, their local audiences tend to get drunker than American crowds and therefore don’t pay as much attention.)

Scars on 45 are enchanting millions across the pond, though. On the strength of the reassuring single “Heart on Fire,” released on an EP of the same name late last year, they’ve crisscrossed this nation numerous times and have adored nearly every moment of it.

“We love England with all our hearts, and we’d love nothing more than to be successful in our own country, but we’ve got to concentrate on where we’ve got work. The U.S. has been so amazing to us and embraced us with open arms,” Bemrose says. “For somewhere so different, I think, from a working-class town in North England as we are, you find something good and really beautiful in every place you go.”

Fittingly, they’ve also created a buzz with their gorgeous acoustic cover of Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” Imagine if the Swell Season had written this omnipresent dance-floor anthem, and you can grasp how Scars have transformed the tune. First performed on a VH1 special on co-vocalist Driver’s suggestion, it’s now found its way into their concert setlist, alongside Oasis’ “Wonderwall.”

That’s a bit of a lark because in the group’s infancy, Bemrose and bassist Stuart Nichols had a chance meeting with Noel Gallagher. At the time, the band was nameless, and the notoriously frank Gallagher scoffed at their indecision. Scars later dubbed themselves after an Emmylou Harris quote, in which she reminisced about getting scratches on her father’s 45 rpm records.

It was a scarring experience that brought Bemrose to a life of music. He’d been a professional soccer player for Huddersfield Town and met Nichols on an opposing team, Bradford City. Despite being rivals, they got on quite well and remained friends after Bemrose suffered a career-ending injury.

“When I broke my foot playing, it was kind of (like) my entire world came crashing down,” he recalls. “Luckily, there was an acoustic guitar my dad used to play around the house. I taught myself a few chords, and that’s where it all started, really. I’m so thankful I broke my foot.” He laughs.

It’s that plucky attitude that has allowed Scars on 45 to endure since their formation in 2007. After a revolving door of instrumentalists came through, the lineup solidified with the feminine mystique of Driver, the steady beat of Chris Durling on drums and the magnificent range of keyboardist and backing vocalist David Nowakowski. These unique pieces of the puzzle came together to form a cohesive, organic songwriting force.

As Scars on 45 prepare for their big late-night break, Bemrose reflects on their journey and how their tenacity and pure hearts have prevailed – tough things to maintain in the sometimes-seedy and masquerading world of rock.

“We’re just trying to convey that we are six normal people that write these songs about things that the majority of people – everyone – goes through,” he insists. “We’re just honest. That’s all we try to be.”

Editor’s note: The original draft of this interview said that Scars on 45’s songs had appeared on “The Closer.” They were actually on “The Cleaner.” We apologize for the error.

The day a Beatle waved at me

QueenCrab — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:22:16 +0000

Most things you love as a child seem kind of silly once you’re grown up. Barbies? If they were real women, they’d be of mutant proportions! Pixy Stix? Cavity city! But some loves never die. For me, it’s that of my love for the Beatles. Yep, I was THAT kid in kindergarten who sang “Yellow Submarine” for show and tell. And I was the tyke who sat on my dad’s knee as he plunked out “When I’m Sixty-Four” on his guitar. Other kids had Barney; I had my Liverpool boys.

So when I heard Paul McCartney was getting his star (finally!) on the Hollywood Walk of Fame about a block from my apartment, I was chuffed. I pondered ditching work Thursday on terms of “religious holiday” (hey, “All You Need Is Love” is a valid spiritual belief), but I refrained. But not wanting to squander the whole experience, I sauntered up to a crowd of about 40 fans breathlessly waiting their chance to see Macca up close.

I lucked out, getting there just as his car was exiting the premises. True, all I saw of him was his arm waving cordially as the swarm thanked and congratulated him on his new standards record, Kisses on the Bottom (Hear Music). Well, there was also that dude who claims Jennifer Aniston made him homeless among us, making us all look bad as he accosted McCartney’s vehicle, searching for a handout. But other than that, the split second of being in the Beatle’s presence was exhilarating.

I can’t begin to imagine what it was like to be a youth of the 1960s in the nascent throngs of Beatlemania. This outing was definitely more tame and refined (guess no one wanted to give the 69-year-old a heart attack). But that same electricity and wonderment ran through my spine at that moment, like the decades of fandom culminated right there. It was almost as powerful as when I saw McCartney perform at Coachella in 2009 (for three hours, no less!). There is just a positivity that radiates from being in the vicinity of such music greatness.

Me and “Fab Forever” at the Riveria in Las Vegas in 2006. I’m such a Beatles fangirl that I even almost wept at meeting a tribute band! (Notice my purse.)

Concert review – They Might Be Giants

QueenCrab — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:35:40 +0000

Photos by Raphael Patricio

It was like something out of a Charlton Heston movie. On one side of the battlefield, damn dirty apes raised their hairy fists in defiance of their human oppressors. On the opposing end, the people united to overcome this newly empowered foe. Between these warring factions patrolled a deadly laser beam that would indiscriminately slice through anything in its path.

And this wasn’t even the weirdest thing that happened at They Might Be Giants’ 30th anniversary show.

Read more at PopMatters!

Concert review – Angels and Airwaves

QueenCrab — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:31:58 +0000

Photo by QueenCrab/Melissa Bobbitt

The side project of Blink-182’s guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge might as well be called Egos and Airwaves. Pomp, given the circumstances, absolutely enthralled the huddled masses of hoodie-wearing youth at the Avalon on January 23rd. But deep within the object of these kids’ adoration lives an extremely vulnerable front man.

Read more at PopMatters!
Check out our AvA photo album at Facebook!

30 is the new awesome

QueenCrab — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:19:14 +0000

QueenCrab’s chuffed to be attending this evening the 30th anniversary show of They Might Be Giants at UCLA’s Royce Hall. These merry pranksters of rock proved that music doesn’t need a cool sheen to ensure longevity.

In this whiz-bang world where 15 minutes of fame has now shrunk to about 15 seconds (sorry, Lana Del Rey), it’s a near-miracle that bands stick around for 10 years, much less 30! So here’s a salute to other groups from the Class of 1982 celebrating their Dirty 30 this year:

CHUMBAWAMBA

They get knocked down, but they get up again. England’s favorite anarchists ring in their 30th as the cast of the ragtime-y stage show Big Society.

JAMES

These Brits have no intentions to “Sit Down,” as one of their Madchester classics suggests. Though they went dormant from 2001-2007, they’ve been a-go-go since, and will grace the stage at Coachella in April.

MURPHY’S LAW

This is hardcore. The NYC rabble-rousers are notorious for their communal-feeling concerts and their exemplary DIY attitude. Though front man Jimmy Gestapo is the only original member, the original spirit of unity through punk rock rings true. No word yet on their 2012 plans.

THE POGUES

File this one under: miracle. The fact that singer Shane MacGowan is still even with us is supernatural, as he’s known as much for his imbibing as he is his talent. 2012 promises to be a busy year for these Celtic rock ruffians: They’re touring Australia and Japan, and accordionist James Fearnley is penning a memoir, out May 2012.

Pick of the week – Young Adult soundtrack

QueenCrab — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:33:13 +0000

From a superb film about growing older but not growing up comes a superb soundtrack pleasantly stuck in the ’90s. “Young Adult,” the Charlize Theron starrer in which she portrays a teen-steam ghostwriter who lives on Diet Coke and maliciousness, flings us back to the Clinton era with its crunchy, infectious tunes.

Theron’s Mavis road trips to the Replacements, crashes her car to Veruca Salt’s “Seether” and gets loaded with grown-up fanboy Patton Oswalt courtesy of Cracker’s “Low.” Mavis uses these power-chord anthems to escape the garish reality of 21st-century living, but we absorb them with a fond nostalgia.

The “Young Adult” soundtrack was released by Rhino Records.

Reunited and it feels so good

QueenCrab — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 02:17:34 +0000

This faux poster is likely what a cynic would think about our current epidemic of band reunions. He’s having a field day with the Coachella lineup, in which we see the unlikely reunions of punk stalwarts Refused and At The Drive-In, alongside British dandies Pulp and slowcore goddesses Mazzy Star. The cynic would yawn and say that none of these bygone champions of rock could ever recapture their energy circa 1995 at That One Gig in Some Dude’s Living Room.

And we, the optimists, would argue that we don’t WANT these bands to have a 1995 energy. We want these reanimated legends to have a fresh perspective – and whether that means putting out new albums (see recent output from Stone Temple Pilots or Blink-182) or bringing in fresh blood (Sublime with Rome, Smashing Pumpkins), more power to them.

To those who accuse reuniting bands of cash grabs – so what? Don’t go see them in concert, and don’t buy the new records. Lest we forget that musicians are entitled to get paid for their wares, too. Lest we forget that there are plenty of young bucks just getting into, say, the Beach Boys and obviously never got a chance to see them live in the 1960s cos their PARENTS weren’t even born yet.

Because music has never just been about one person. Music is meant to be shared and experienced with the masses of all ages and levels of fandom. So we say keep the reunions coming.

Your move, Talking Heads.