Faith No More concert review-Nov. 2010

A version of my review originally appeared in the Orange County Register's Soundcheck blog and can be viewed here:

http://soundcheck.ocregister.com/2010/12/01/faith-no-more-powerful-at-palladium-opener/40274/

Archival photo, circa 1997, courtesy of Warner/Reprise Records

Faith No More

Hollywood Palladium (Calif.)

Nov. 30, 2010

During Faith No More’s late ‘80s/early ‘90s heyday, Mike Patton often engaged in bizarre antics onstage. For the first of two Hollywood Palladium shows on Tuesday night though, the singer focused on delivering his uniquely twisted vocals while the band remained a tight and energetic force to be reckoned with.

Patton pogoed around and kept the chit chat to a minimum until the group’s breezy take on The Commodores’ “Easy,” an hour into the 90-minute set. Urging some audience participation, he said, “It’s OK to sing along; TMZ isn’t watching you.” Later, there was this unusual taunt: “Who wants to go to jail? Spit on me! I want to feel your happy.”

Longtime fans who packed the sold out venue crowd surfed with abandon and were obviously ecstatic to see the group again after an extended absence. These dates comprise its first Los Angeles appearances since 1997 at the Palace - now Avalon - and Palladium in ’95. I managed to catch both gigs and recall the notorious soup can acoustics inside the latter put a damper on the proceedings.

Last year’s Second Coming tour in 2009 saw Faith No More tour Europe and South America exclusively. The quintet finally returned to SoCal this past April as co-headliner on the second day of Coachella. Watching them give a powerful performance on the festival’s main stage, it was evident how they had influenced such popular ‘90s alt-metal acts as Tool, Deftones, Staind and System of a Down.

That fact was hammered home in the more intimate indoor confines of the Palladium. Despite only a handful of modern and mainstream rock radio hits here, plus a single gold and platinum album, Faith No More continued to find major success abroad before splitting up in ’98. Among those areas were Australia and South America, where the world tour concludes Sunday at a Santiago soccer stadium.

Nowadays, the band’s influence is still being felt. A new remix of “Epic” - crafted by British electronic duo Utah Saints for their recent UK summer festival appearances - was just posted online and can be downloaded free here: soundcloud.com and houseplanet.dj. And a new Faith No More-inspired musical with that same song title is reportedly in the works next spring in Melbourne. 

Opening as they did in Indio with a straight, soulful version of Peaches & Herb’s “Reunited,” Patton was clad in his usual red suit, sunglasses and used a cane for dramatic effect. Keyboardist Roddy Bottum served as duet partner.

Then it was time to get the megaphone out. Bottum triggered a siren sound, the musicians went into full on rock attack mode on the frenetic “From Out of Nowhere” and Patton did some screeching and growling.

Rarities from the 1987 pre-Patton album Introduce Yourself (“Spirit,” the stinging and thunderous “Chinese Arithmetic,” prefaced by a snatch of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”) surely delighted old school fans. A stellar “Everything’s Ruined,” where Jon Hudson really proved his mettle with distorted guitar sounds and “Helpless,” replete with Patton’s crazy whistling and yelping, made their tour debuts. Actor Danny DeVito even danced across the stage at one point.

Other evening standouts included the sinister “Caffeine” (Patton exorcised his demons to strobe lighting), a funky “Evidence,” the whisper-to-a-scream dynamics and Mike Bordin’s tribal beats on “Midlife Crisis,” Patton’s over-the-top dramatic vocals amid the Bee Gee’s “I Started a Joke” and the always intense “Epic” (here the singer was like a tiger unleashed from a cage). 

During the encore section, LA natives Bottom and Gould briefly reminisced about memorable shows they’d seen at the Palladium in the ‘80s (U2, the Clash, English Beat) and the keyboardist got a solo spotlight on a bit of Vangelis’ “Chariots of Fire.” Finally, Patton and the band ended in lounge mode with a crooning cover of Burt Bacharach’s “This Guy’s in Love with You.”

Setlist: Faith No More at the Hollywood Palladium, Nov. 30, 2010

Reunited/From Out of Nowhere/Everything’s Ruined/Caffeine/Evidence/Surprise! You’re Dead!/Poker Face into Chinese Arithmetic/Last Cup of Sorrow/Cuckoo for Caca/Easy/Midlife Crisis/The Gentle Art of Making Enemies/I Started a Joke/Epic/Ashes to Ashes/Just a Man

First encore: Chariots of Fire-Stripsearch/Spirit

Second encore: We Care a Lot/This Guy’s in Love with You

INXS Mystify DVD review

music video reviews

INXS

Mystify

[Eagle Rock Entertainment]

B-

INXS arrived on these shores from Australia in the early ‘80s and immediately stood apart from the new wave pack. A large part of the allure was singer Michael Hutchence, whose pure, unadulterated sensuality and onstage swagger often recalled Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger.

Although the dance/rock band achieved massive worldwide success with the albums Listen Like Thieves, Kick and X, it was strictly playing to the faithful by the time Elegantly Wasted arrived in 1997. Filmed at a German outdoor summer music festival for long-running European music television show “Rockpalast,” Mystify finds the group supporting that CD five months before Hutchence committed suicide.

The 80-minute performance starts off sluggishly, but the group finally rebounds a quarter way through on poignant ballad “Searching.” Hutchence is in a flippant, playful mood here: he attempts to crowd surf, mugs right into camera crew lenses, climbs atop amplifiers, jokes around, smokes a joint and interacts with both lead guitarist Tim Farriss and the buxom female backing vocalists. Yet the front man turns in a performance that’s passionate (“Disappear,” “Never Tear Us Apart”), sultry (“Need You Tonight,” “Devil Inside”) and party hearty (“Kick,” “What You Need”) as the musicians are solid (sax man Kirk Pengilly seems to have the most fun).

Sound and picture quality are average for a TV shoot. Diehard fans will relish the 25-minute bonus performance from a 1984 “Rockpalast” in studio taping from Hamburg, where a young INXS is ready to make its mark. Hutchence oozes sexuality on “Original Sin”; the driving pace and icy synth lines of “Don’t Change” still induce goosebumps a quarter century later.

      

Depeche Mode Live in Spain DVD review

music video review

Depeche Mode: Tour of the Universe

[Capitol]

Grade: B-

For the past couple decades, Depeche Mode has pushed visual boundaries in concert with longtime artistic director Anton Corbijn. Getting everything to work on home video though is a different story. Tour of the Universe, filmed in Spain last November, often suffers due to distracting camera work and lackluster images. Shots from the fans’ perspective block onstage action, while lingering on insignificant focal points proves detrimental.

The two-hour concert finds the veteran synth pop trio in satisfactory musical form. Some new tunes (“In Chains,” “Hole to Feed”) get the proceedings off to a sluggish start before they eventually pick up steam during “It’s No Good.” Lead singer Dave Gahan - looking like a leaner version of Social Distortion’s Mike Ness nowadays – vigorously works the stage, but rarely uses the catwalk. 

Despite sounding good, he has the crowd take over entire song choruses way too much. “I Feel You” lacks the usual rocking punch; Martin Gore’s dramatic vocals on luxurious, yet sedate tunes (“Jezebel,” “Home,” “Dressed in Black”) kill any momentum. Still, “In Your Room,” “Fly on the Windscreen” and “Never Let Me Down Again” summon the old DM excitement and lullaby-type ballad “Waiting for the Night” finds the guys’ voices meshing nicely.

Besides a live CD, the set is available in three versions. The DVD/Blu-ray bonus content includes a tour documentary, additional live songs, New York City rehearsal tracks, four music videos culled from 2009’s Sounds of the Universe (car-stuck-in-reverse rampage clip “Wrong” is simply harrowing) and Corbijn’s screen films/montages.

Hellogoodbye album review

Hellogoodbye

Would it Kill You?

(Rocket Science/Wasted Summer)

Grade: A

Four years between albums seems like an eternity in the ever-changing indie rock world. But this Huntington Beach, Calif. band didn’t sit around idly after impressive debut Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! and hit single “Here (In Your Arms)” went top 20 on the Billboard charts: there was a lineup revamp, lawsuit to exit their former label, marriage for creative mastermind Forrest Kline and a slight change in musical direction. Last time around, Hellogoodbye’s quirky songs were rife with keyboard programming, danceable rhythms, vocoder-ized singing and acoustic guitar-based emo ditties.

On Would it Kill You?,Kline and returning producer Matt Mahaffey (Beck, P!nk, The Sounds) handled most instruments and utilized actual string/horn players. The result is an enthralling ride through chamber and power pop terrain with 1960s-styled Beach Boys and Zombies detours. 

Kline’s lyrics reference aging, death and paranoia, yet a fun sense of restless energy still envelops the songs. Among the standouts: an upbeat “When We First Kissed,” sporting jangly and reverb-drenched guitars recalling early ‘80s Smiths; finger-snapping “Thoughts That Give Me the Creeps,” colored by ukulele and Celeste sounds and “I Never Can Relax,” where swooping orchestration and tack piano give way to a sweet falsetto vocal breakdown akin to Sigur Ros’ Jonsi. 

Then there’s “Betrayed by Bones,” which gallops alongside sparse vocals before suddenly bursting into dense atmospherics. Buoyant harmonies abound. This one was definitely worth the wait.

Wagon Wheel concert festival review 2010 Day 2

My reviews originally appeared on the Californian newspaper entertainment blog and can be viewed here:

http://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?cat=419
Photo of Randy Houser by Ryan Ambrust; courtesy of EB Media PR

Concert Review

Wagon Wheel Country Music Festival, Day 2

When Randy Houser opened his Wagon Wheel set with “My Kind of Country,” the singer recalled outlaw performers of yore like Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash. Other acts on Sunday’s bill ran the gamut of country music sounds - from soul (James Otto) and pop (Sara Evans) to honky tonk (Dwight Yoakam).

Fewer people appeared to show up for the festival’s second day, but event promoter Just Cruzin’ Productions estimated a weekend attendance of 12,000 at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore.

Before headliner Yoakam closed out the proceedings, a tribute to slain Riverside police officer Ryan Bonaminio was held with local officials, colleagues, and the victim’s parents onstage to offer their thoughts. Concertgoers were given candles and glow sticks, which were waved in Bonaminio’s honor during a bagpiper’s song. A guitar and memorabilia auction was also held. A portion of proceeds from that, as well as ticket sales since last Wednesday, will go to the family.

Troy Olsen penned songs for Tim McGraw and Blake Shelton and has finally struck out on his own with a new  digital EP. In concert, tracks such as “Good Hands,” “Tumbleweed” and “Summer Thing” (the latter receiving prominent airplay on country radio) had an easygoing Kenny Chesney-type vibe. Olsen and his band did a jaunty medley of Dire Straits’ “Walk of Life” and Eddie Rabbitt’s “Drivin’ My Life Away” that went over well with early Wagon Wheel arrivals. The same held true on their pedal steel-enhanced take on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.” Definitely one to watch.

James Otto notified the crowd that “we’ve come to get down and get a groove on.” He wasn’t exaggerating; the afternoon performance was easily Sunday’s best. The funky “Lover Man” featured Otto's tasteful electric guitar solo, while an extended version of Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” spotlighted the singer’s sultry pipes, alongside a dobro player. “Sun Comes ‘Round Again” had a classic Stax soul vibe. Otto had no trouble getting audience participation going on the playful “It’s a Good Time (For a Good Time)” and “Shake What God Gave Ya.”

Writhing, buxom cowgirls in front of the stage took the latter title to heart and the group incorporated a snatch of Nelly’s “Hot in Herre.” A fine Ronnie Milsap cover (“There’s No Getting Over Me”) and Otto’s big hit (“Just Got Started Loving You”) stirred things up even more.

Houser’s rambunctious performance was rowdy and fun. The singer/guitarist laughed a lot between song descriptions and made sure people were in the moment right along with him. “They Call Me Cadillac” was a prime example of Houser’s humor. The barrelhouse piano-led “Out Here in the Country” made light of the Hollywood lifestyle. His cover choices (Allman Brothers Band’s “Midnight Rider,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man”) allowed the musicians to jam a bit and “Boots On” ended the party-hearty hour on a high note.

Wagon Wheel’s lone dose of estrogen in the lineup came from Sara Evans. She was very genial and professional, yet her predominantly jubilant set came across as bland as contemporaries Martina McBride and Faith Hill. With the exception of dramatic current single "A Little Bit Stronger," she stuck to the hits (“Born to Fly,” “A Real Fine Place to Start,” “Suds in the Bucket”), an odd attempt to rock a cover (Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me”) and was well-received by the crowd.

Yoakam dealt with unwanted feedback, a muddy sound mix and a cold, but still soldiered on. Steamrolling through one song after another and barely pausing in between - much like Willie Nelson does in concert – tended to make the songs blur into one another. Clad in trademark light blue jean jacket and pants plus white hat, Yoakam and his flashily attired band opened with the Northern California country sounds of idol Buck Owens (“Under Your Spell Again,” Act Naturally,” “Streets of Bakersfield”). 

The front man engaged in some loose limbed moves and nailed the emotional “If There Was a Way.” Three selections from the 1986 debut album, “Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.” were played, including the title track and the slow revamp of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” Once 10 p.m. arrived, The Diamond had noticeably thinned out. A passionate “To Love Somebody” (the Bee Gees number), appended with a verse of Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds,” reverb drenched, slide guitar wonder “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” “Little Sister” and “It Only Hurts When I Cry” were among the main set standouts.

Wagon Wheel concert festival review-Day 1

My review originally appeared on the Californian newspaper entertainment blog and can be viewed here:

http://www.nctimes.com/app/blogs/wp/?cat=419
Photo of Lee Ann Womack courtesy of MCA Nashville Records


Concert Review
Wagon Wheel Country Music Festival
The Diamond, Lake Elsinore, Calif.
Nov. 13

For those watching sporting events at The Diamond, the headgear of choice is usually a baseball cap. On Saturday, it was cowboy hats all the way as the Wagon Wheel Country Music Festival returned to the Lake Elsinore stadium. A few thousand concertgoers enjoyed sets by six acts – including stellar turns by Lee Ann Womack and Dierks Bentley. 

Deejays from Go Country 105 FM in Los Angeles served as emcees (an unusual choice, given K-FROG is the Inland Empire’s main country music station). While the weather was mild and breezy - a far cry from Wagon Wheel’s sweltering temps last year – many people stayed in the shaded general admission seats throughout the afternoon. Once the sun went down though, nearly everyone was on the field or in the VIP area.

Canada’s Emerson Drive delivered a solid performance, heightened by singer Brad Mates and guitarist’s Danick Dupelle’s dual harmonies on the contemporary country/pop-leaning “You Still Own Me” and their top 10 singles “I Should Be Sleeping” and “Fall Into Me.” Mates dedicated the moving ballad “When I See You  Again” to a former Emerson Drive bassist that committed suicide. A fan, fast-paced hoedown vibe encompassed “Countrified Soul” and “Testify”; fiddler David Pichette got quite a workout amid a cover of Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (interspersed with Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”).

Jimmy Wayne dealt with a cold and some sound issues early on, but didn’t let that affect him. Totally gregarious and fan-friendly, Wayne continuously signed hats, shook hands and went into the audience while singing. Earnest ballads (“I Will,” “Stay Gone,” a stripped down take on Hall & Oates’ “Sara Smile,” “Where You’re Going,” prefaced by the inspiring story of his hard luck upbringing) took overall precedence over a handful of rockin' country numbers.

Womack’s rare area appearance was worth the price of admission alone. In fine voice and backed by a top-notch, eight-piece band, her nuanced tunes often recalled the classic 1960s and ‘70s country sounds of Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette (“Never Again, Again,” “I May Hate Myself in the Morning, “The Fool”).
 
She even paid tribute to onetime duet partner Willie Nelson by doing a jazzy “Night Life” and Patsy Cline on “Walkin’ After Midnight.” Other standouts included the twangy “A Little Past Little Rock,” the big, cascading strains of “You’ve Got to Talk to Me,” sweeping No. 1 single “I Hope You Dance” and upbeat, powerful version of Rodney Crowell’s “Ashes by Now.”

Bentley and his group began in a semi-circle, backs to the crowd, singing into a lone microphone, for the bluegrass tune “Up on the Ridge.” The title track to his exceptional CMA award-nominated album (it lost to Miranda Lambert on Wednesday) was both riveting and feisty.

Then the front VIP section suddenly became a sea of white cowboy hats: a bunch of guys raised their beers in a nod to the good time party tunes (a good portion slow danced with their significant others during the ballads). All the prominent hits were represented and played with verve (“Free and Easy,” “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do,” “Settle for a Slowdown,” “Feel that Fire”).

Before “I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes,” Bentley recalled his time spent in Arizona and invading our Southern California beaches every summer; the somber “Long Trip Alone” was dedicated to military personnel. Finally, the main set closed with “Sideways,” a refreshing change with programmed and sampled sounds.

News on upcoming Duran Duran album

I just received this press release about the new Duran Duran album. Can't wait to hear it!
Archive photo courtesy of Epic Records.

The four original members of Duran Duran - John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon - have announced their 13th studio album, entitled All You Need Is Now. The 9-track digital LP is due out  on the iTunes Store on December 21^st while the expanded physical LP and various format special packages will come in February 2011. The first single from the record, title track “All You Need Is Now,” will be available worldwide on December 14^th on iTunes. 

Produced by the Grammy Award-winning Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Adele, Kaiser Chiefs, Lily Allen) and mixed by Spike Stent (Madonna, Björk, No Doubt), the record is a return-to-roots homage to Duran Duran’s most celebrated musical panache.

 

This new tale begins in 2008. As part of a year-long run, they headlined festivals in a number of countries, playing arenas in others, and became the first group to perform at the Louvre Museum in Paris.  Two nights later, in the same city, Duran Duran treated fans to a specially created “mega-mix” one-hour set that was filmed in a tiny theatre, with longtime fan, Mark Ronson. This rare live performance, immediately proved that there was a powerful chemistry between Ronson and the band, and within just a few weeks, a much larger collaboration had developed, with Mark committing to produce the band’s 13th studio album. Starting out in the late Spring of 2009, at Sphere Studios in London, this much-anticipated Duran/Ronson union flourished, as writing and recording began on an exciting new body of work, which Ronson has boldly stated is the “imaginary follow up to Rio that never was.”

 

With this newfound partnership, the band was energized and excited by the music they were creating. The result is nothing short of pure Duran Duran brilliance.  The album features guest vocals/rap from longtime Duran Duran pal/collaborator Ana Matronic of the Scissor Sisters while Owen Pallett of Arcade Fire contributes the album’s string arrangements.

 

Always at the forefront of the art scene, the band enlisted the talents of up-and-coming British art star Clunie Reid for the album artwork and packaging. Reid’s work has been recently shown at leading UK and US spaces, including the Saatchi Gallery, The Tate and the New Museum in New York. British fashion magazine POP’s creative team will provide art direction for the project.

 

All You Need Is Now Digital LP tracklisting in full:

       1. All You Need Is Now

2. Blame The Machines
3. Being Followed
4. Leave A Light On
5. Safe
6. Girl Panic
7. The Man Who Stole A Leopard
8. Runway Runaway
9. Before the Rain

*A 12-track physical package will be available for purchase on CD and vinyl with special deluxe options in February 2011.