Kings of Leon concert review: LA

Photo by: Kelly Swift
My review originally appeared in the OC Register

Kings of Leon, The Whigs
Where: The Forum, Inglewood
When: Aug. 22

Foreign success is perfectly well and good, but attaining fame and fortune on your own turf is much sweeter – something Kings of Leon waited six years to discover. The band currently has a platinum-selling album at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart (Only By the Night) and a single (“Use Somebody”) in the same position on the Hot 100 tally. These guys’ presence is so pervasive on pop and rock radio right now that three random channel surfing experiences turned up all three recent hits.

During an electrifying, sold out concert at The Forum on Saturday, the band was clearly reveling in the fruits of their labors and biggest Los Angeles area gig to date. Singer/guitarist Caleb Followill (who has admitted to such extreme nervousness that he often has to vomit before taking the stage) seemed more relaxed than at the smaller Nokia Theatre/L.A. Live last October.

At various points in the show, Caleb told the Inglewood audience, “this is the rare occasion when all of us up here are having a good time” and “you don’t realize how proud you make this little band from Tennessee feel. God bless you all.”

Formed a decade ago in Nashville, the family quartet (three brothers and a cousin) put out debut album Youth and Young Manhood in 2003. It immediately found favor in the U.K. and Australia and spawned several chart singles. The same held true for subsequent efforts Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because of the Times.

Kings of Leon headlined large festivals and venues abroad, yet despite high profile tour opening stints with U2, Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan, the band’s swampy, Southern fried garage rock music only managed to draw a cult following here.

Truth be told, Caleb’s indecipherable drawl and the Allman Brothers-meets-The Strokes sound was moderately interesting at best. Minor sonic experimentation on “Times” was a step in the right direction. The atmospheric sound came to full fruition on the exemplary “Night.” One of 2008’s best albums, the collection saw Caleb emerge as a more confident singer/songwriter and people like U2 and My Morning Jacket a run for the money.

After nearly a year on the road, the Followills didn’t display any signs of tour fatigue in L.A. Caleb’s voice was soulful and raspy as ever. The old, dilapidated Forum has a reputation for poor acoustics, but the sound couldn’t have been better when Kings of Leon held court there.

Nathan’s tribal drums and eerie guitar squalls from cousin Matthew on “Be Somebody” (the first of nine songs performed from “Night”) got the 100-minute, 21-song set off to a frantic start. The supercharged vibe continued on the propulsive “My Party,” where Matthew did some fine slide work and Nathan added backing howls.

Fans on the packed general admission floor pumped their fists in approval. Fittingly, electrocardiogram-type images were shown on multiple projection screens (if anything could get your heart pumping faster, it’s Kings of Leon). The artsy camera work must have frustrated those in the upper sections whenever the band was pictured from behind, framed in half or in grainy camera phone-styled shots.

A quick, spiraling sequencer riff reminiscent of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” served as the intro to the high-flying acoustic guitar-driven shuffle “Fans.” Matthew played gorgeous reverb-drenched guitar on the haunting “Revelry,” then played the instrument with his teeth (!) on the spacey “Closer” as spotlights pointed on the crowd.

There was a dirty Led Zeppelin crunch during the hard rocking “Crawl.” Caleb’s shrieking amid “Charmer” was even more intense live. I rarely enjoy bass solos, but Jared’s inventive patterns on the latter and elsewhere were welcome.

Before a transcendent “Sex on Fire,” dispatched mid-set, Caleb quipped: “I’m sure none of you want to sing along now. They play this song way too much around here. I apologize; I was on pills when I wrote it” (recovering from a shoulder injury). The crowd almost drowned out the band on the chorus.

Other standouts included Caleb’s effective delivery on the passionate “Cold Desert,” bolstered by The Edge-inspired lead guitar effects (Matthew didn’t move around much onstage, but sure coaxed some intriguing sounds out of his guitars) and soaring main set closer, “Use Somebody.”

Athens, Ga. trio The Whigs opened the show with a spirited 45-minute set of raucous alt-rock. “Like a Vibration,” from latest album Mission Control, brought to mind early Elvis Costello and “In the Dark” boasted a careening sound along the lines of Foo Fighters. Lanky front man Parker Gispert could hardly contain his enthusiasm, doing high kicks, jumping on the drum riser and squeezing feedback from his guitar at every turn (“Right Hand on My Heart,” the psychedelic rock freakout “Already Young”).

Kings of Leon, The Forum, Aug. 22, 2009
Main set: Be Somebody/Taper Jean Girl/My Party/Molly's Chambers/Red Morning Light/Fans/Revelry/Closer/Crawl/Four Kicks/Charmer/Sex on Fire/The Bucket/Notion/On Call/Cold Desert/Use Somebody
Encore: Slow Night, So Long/Knocked Up/Manhattan/Black Thumbnail

Friendly Fires interview

A version of my story originally appeared in IE Weekly.

Who needs social commentary?

Not England’s Friendly Fires, whose exuberant songs provide a welcome diversion from the world’s problems.

“I think we’re all fed up with bands that have this penchant for writing banal lyrics about petty things going on in people’s lives,” says guitarist Edward Gibson, from a Toronto tour stop. “You’re living all this crap anyway; you don’t need to be reminded of it. Just lock yourself away and try to escape while listening to the music.”

The young indie dance rock trio’s self-titled debut album is inching toward gold certification back home and was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize. Although Kasabian, The Horrors, Bat for Lashes and Glasvegas provide stiff competition, Gibson says a Friendly Fires win next month would see them throw “a massive party. I don’t think you need to use that prize money too wisely or sensibly.”

Recorded DIY-style, on a shoestring budget in the home garage of singer/keyboardist/bassist Ed Macfarlane’s parents, the sound is quite different from the musicians’ previous group as teenagers: a post-hardcore outfit inspired by Fugazi and Dischord Records acts. “We wrote instrumentals that went on and on. We probably enjoyed playing them more than anyone listening to it.”

When Friendly Fires formed straight out of college in 2006, they took musical cues from German techno, Prince, shoegaze and classic pop. “We wanted to include the same kind of intricacies [as before],” notes Gibson, “but shave them down to the best bits and core hooks.”

Stateside, selections from the album have been heard on TV (“Gossip Girl,” Nintendo Wii Fit and PlayStation Gran Turismo 5 commercials) and radio (KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic). The cool Ibiza beach drumline video to new single “Kiss of Life” has received airplay on several MTV channels.

A deluxe expanded CD+DVD version - due out Sept. 1 at digital merchants and a week later at regular retailers - will include that song, the band’s favorite remixes, outtakes and a concert filmed at London’s Forum.

From the airy synths and frantic Afro-Beat rhythms of “Jump in the Pool,” funky “In the Hospital” (think Prince meets Talking Heads) and frantic “On Board” - where singer/keyboardist/bassist Ed Macfarlane yelps in falsetto - to the percolating New Order-esque “Strobe” and lush “Paris” (featuring backing vocals by Au Revoir Simone), the highly infectious songs are guaranteed to get your feet moving.

Such was the case last spring at Coachella, when Friendly Fires, rounded out by drummer Jack Savidge, drew a packed crowd in the sweltering Gobi tent. Macfarlane did spastic moves and got right down in fans’ faces amid a memorable afternoon set that easily rivaled the headliners.

“Sometimes it’s best not to have a vast stage or do that sort of Iron Maiden ‘back and forth’ thing,” notes Gibson. “It’s horrible if you’re crammed in like a tiger in a little cage though. You need a bit of freedom.”

Each time an opportunity to play the main stage at a major festival comes along, Friendly Fires make the most of it. Multiple percussionists and Samba dancers with colorful headdresses joined them onstage at Reading 2008.

“It’s like nowheresville there, where [U.K. TV show] ‘The Office’ is set. To have a Carnivale brought to Reading is something very different…we don’t do it all the time, because it can get a bit gimmicky. But every now and then, it’s good to bust out a full troupe.”

Earlier this month at Lollapalooza, a live horn section was added to the mix. “We can’t [always] afford to fly the same people around with us, but we’ve got good hookups all across the globe,” explains Gibson. If fans are lucky, those connections will come through at the more intimate Pomona gig as well.

Friendly Fires plays the Glass House in Pomona on Sunday, the El Rey in L.A. on Monday and Cinespace in Hollywood on Tuesday.

"Bandslam": Music movie worth seeing

I just got back from watching the new film "Bandslam" and have to say it's one of the best things I've seen this year. Directed by Todd Graff ("Camp") and starring Lisa Kudrow (TV's "Friends"), Vanessa Hudgens ("High School Musical"), Aly Michalka (Aly & AJ, Disney Channel's "Phil of the Future"), it has a charm and true to-life sensibility that's rare in teen-centric flicks these days.

Kudrow portrays a single mom raising her teenage son (played by the excellent Gaelan Connell - a relative newcomer who had bit parts in "Chocolat" and "A Dirty Shame"). Connell's character is key to the film: a misfit type who has an encyclopedic knowledge of "cool" rock music and doesn't fit in at high school. After a move to Jersey, he suddenly finds himself managing a student-led rock band.

Filled with smart dialogue that doesn't pander (no vulgarity) and music references (Connell's character makes a trip to the shuttered CBGBs club in NYC and frequently posts to the website of idol David Bowie), "Bandslam" was partially filmed in Austin (including scenes shot at South by Southwest!). There is also an amazing soundtrack (Nico, Wilco, Bowie and much more). DJ Junkie XL did some incidental music and a major singer makes a cameo.

I'd call it a cross between "School of Rock" and "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist," with elements of '80s John Hughes movies.

Michalka does a fine job as the cheerleader/singer, Hudgens is surprisingly good as the low-key bookworm and Kudrow prompts a few laughs as a quirky, yet believable parent. It's Connell who shines here though, making you identify with his predicaments. He's definitely one to watch.

Shamefully, "Bandslam" debuted at #13 at the national box office over the weekend, making a paltry $2.2 million in wide release. Don't let this one be deemed a flop. Go see it now!

Veteran country duo calls it quits

Last week, after hearing that Brooks & Dunn were splitting up next year after a final "Greatest Hits" album and tour, my initial reaction was "no big loss."

While I typically cover rock and alt-rock music, I began writing about country more after landing my previous job at the Daily Bulletin & Sun because the genre is big out here in the IE. So I started getting into a lot of acts. These guys weren't one of them. I never thought their songs were especially memorable. How they've sold millions of albums, scored massive hits and won awards up the wazoo is beyond me (I feel the same way about Rascal Flatts - I'd rather hear nails scratching on a mirror - and the equally arrogant/tuneless Toby Keith).

I covered the Stagecoach Fest in Indio, CA a couple years ago and Brooks & Dunn headlined one night. I watched them for awhile and got so bored that I decided to go and eat instead.

Flaming Lips concert pick of week

THE FLAMING LIPS AT THE FOX THEATER, POMONA, TUESDAY, AUG. 18

When it comes to trippy sonic excursions, The Flaming Lips have the market cornered. Hatched out of Oklahoma City in 1983, singer Wayne Coyne, bassist Michael Ivins and various bandmates put out several indie albums rife with acid rock, noisy jams and psychedelic insanity.

After hooking up with a major label, The Lips notched their first top 10 alternative/minor pop radio hit in 1994 (“She Don’t Use Jelly”). Then came symphonic gem The Soft Bulletin. Masterful 2002 disc Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots went gold and netted a Grammy (2006’s acclaimed At War with the Mystics won two more).

Earlier this year, atmospheric Yoshimi tune “Do You Realize?” was deemed official rock song of Oklahoma. Keeping with the parameter expanding nature of their music, the band has also done high profile parking lot and boom box sound experiments and a concert tour where fans listened on headphones via Sony Walkmen.

You just never know what to expect from these guys’ shows. Past live jaunts have seen Coyne roll over the crowd in a big plastic bubble (Sugarland recently co-opted this move), utilize bizarre hand puppets and odd projection techniques as people frolic onstage in animal costumes.

Recently, The Flaming Lips put out a digital EP previewing the forthcoming double album Embryonic, due in October. Fellow Sooner State natives Stardeath and White Dwarfs, featuring Coyne’s nephew Dennis on vocals, have collaborated with The Lips on a cool new cover of Madonna’s “Borderline.”

The Flaming Lips, Ghostland Observatory, Stardeath and White Dwarfs at the Fox Theater, 301 S. Garey Ave., Pomona, www.ticketmaster.com, www.flaminglips.com. Tuesday, Aug. 18, doors open at 7PM, $40.

(This Calendar pick originally appeared in Inland Empire Weekly)

Joe Henry album review

Joe Henry
Blood From Stars
(Anti-)
B+

Joe Henry is hard to pin down. Starting in the late ‘80s, his early albums were steeped in alt-country and acoustic folk. After working with celebrated producer/artists T-Bone Burnett and Daniel Lanois, Henry’s music veered in a more atmospheric direction. He became a sonic architect, deftly using samples and loops, touching upon blues, funk and jazz rock and luring horn legends like Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman into his studio. 1996’s stark Trampoline featured Helmet guitarist Page Hamilton, while 2001’s Scar, included the tango “Stop,” which sister-in-law Madonna refashioned into her hit “Don’t Tell Me.”

In the interim, Henry segued into an acclaimed production career (Solomon Burke) and his tunes were sought by daring film directors. The cinema is often intertwined with Henry’s creative process. He builds albums in terms of themes, character and scope. Past efforts like 1999’s stellar Fuse have had a “calm before the storm” quality. That definitely holds true on Henry’s majestic 11th studio release Blood From Stars.

It opens with a stately piano instrumental performed by Jason Moran and is followed by the Dixieland jazz of “The Man I Keep Hid.” Here, Henry sings highly personal, yet witty lyrics (“somebody used my mouth and laughed out loud”) and lets teenage son Levon take the reigns on saxophone. Marc Ribot provides beautiful Spanish guitar on “This is My Favorite Cage,” while haunting highlight “Death to the Storm” is propelled by a gospel chorus courtesy of Chocolate Genius (Bruce Springsteen’s “Seeger Sessions”).

Elsewhere, a New Orleans vibe takes over “Bellwether,” the jazzy reverb rock on “Suit on a Frame” recalls Radiohead’s experimentalism and the plaintive closer “Coda” finds Henry turning in more dramatic vocals than usual. Truly evocative, this is tailor-made for the NPR and coffeehouse set.

Brendan Benson album review

Brendan Benson
My Old, Familiar Friend
(ATO)
A

Before becoming a quarter of successful alt-rock group The Raconteurs with Jack White & Co. (where he co-wrote all the songs), Brendan Benson spent a decade toiling in a solo career that was critically acclaimed, but only moderately successful. No wonder he once said in a Raconteurs interview: “I got sick of myself; this is the band I always wanted.”

Now that White has jumped to another side project (The Dead Weather), it’s finally time for the world to discover what a supreme talent Benson is alone. Produced by Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, Pixies), fourth effort My Old, Familiar Friend finds the singer/guitarist engaging in his trademark power pop, in addition to psychedelia, New Wave and Motown strains to excellent effect.

Everything kicks off with “A Whole Lot Better,” a frenetic tune about indecisiveness in a relationship that combines a prog rock synth line, handclaps and organ with a melody that recalls early Elvis Costello & the Attractions. The same vibe encompasses “Misery” and “Poised and Ready.”

Benson gets a little darker on the paranoia song “Eyes on the Horizon” (key line: “I’m convinced underneath that black hair/there’s a listening device planted there”), propelled by an Eric Clapton melody (think “I Can’t Stand It”) before swelling into a sugary McCartney-esque chorus. Orchestral strings are at the fore during “Garbage Day,” where Benson has second thoughts about consoling a friend. Among the other standouts: the jaunty “Don’t Wanna Talk” and dense hard rocker “Borrow.”