| WALSH'S WEEKEND |
Click here for the official Leonard Cohen website. Music from Leonard Cohen:
|
I have a critical confession to make: Try as I might, when it comes to Low, and their dirge-y rock, I simply don't get it. On one hand, I respect their willingness to stick so fiercely to a ``sound,'' but I get bored with it almost instantly, because for me, the most attractive thing about any music -- all art -- is the element of surprise. With Low, I know exactly what I'm going to get. Same goes for gangsta rap, contemporary Christian music, or anything else that has a ``contents'' stamp on it that rigidly defines itself as ``blank.'' One more critical confession: That Portishead song that Radio K is playing at the moment bugs the crap out of me. Why? Because it's so pretty, and perfect, and then it gets plastered with a ridiculous vinyl-scratching needle that sounds like a mosquito dive-bombing a microphone. In other words, it sounds trendy. When you hear Portishead in five or 10 years, you'll be able to say: ``Ah, a record from 1996. Or 1997.'' There's the rub. Call me crazy, but shouldn't music try to be -- if not actually BE -- timeless? Well, the Harlows' music, green though it is at the moment, aspires to timelessness. The 1-year-old Minneapolis-based band shifts from moody pop to ethereal rock, dark romance to uplifting anthems, all of which are rife with evocative imagery and dueling/kissing male-female vocals that sound positively bewitching on a cold January day. I ran into the very fine Harlow folks (no one's surname is actually Harlow; they named the group in honor of Jean Harlow) at the Entry last Friday. They were good enough to not chastise me for missing their opening set for the very fine bill of American Paint, Magnatone and the Autumn Leaves (during whose set founding Leaf, Keith Patterson, announced he was leaving the band. Again). They graced me with an advance tape of their forthcoming record. All in all, the Harlows' sound is perfectly nightmarish, like a tougher version of Luna or any of the mid-'80s electro-pop bands. If that sounds confusing, it's meant to be. The best thing about the Harlows is that they haven't painted themselves into any corners yet, and for the rest of us, it's exciting to hear the sound of exploration. Check 'em out tonight (Thursday) at 9:30 at the 400 Bar. Typically, the weekend is defined as that brute Friday and his ready-to-rage big sister Saturday, but this week, Thursday is the night for nightclub critters. And the Harlows gig is only the beginning.
OTHER STUFF If you ask me, the talk radio dial just hasn't been the same around these parts since the departure of one Phil Hendrie, whose totally original and totally wack WCCO-AM late-night show was some of the finest performance art ever heard. Hendrie is now working elsewhere, but thanks to one ``Walsh's Weekend'' reader, who supplied the following Internet radio info, we can have All Phil, All The Time: http://www.boilingpoint.com/phil/andhttp://www.kfi640.com/usguys/phil.htm/ HALL OF JUSTICE This week's Hall Of Justice -- a feature that will appear periodically on ``Walsh's Weekend'' to give credit to overlooked records where credit is due -- comes via Bill Tuomala, editor of the very fine 'zine ``Exiled On Main Street'' (http://radparker.com/noodle). Bill's a terrific writer and a great guy, as this piece attests. E-mail comments to Bill Tuomala at wyman23@wavefront.com Artist: Drivin' `n' Cryin' Title: ``Mystery Road'' Label: Island (1989) One of the saddest rock 'n' roll phrases I know of is ``a band in search of its audience.'' It almost brings a tear to my eye as I imagine some lonely group traveling America in a van, pulling into seedy bars along the way, plugging in, and pouring their guts out on stage. Meanwhile, the crowd just drinks too much and yells ``Free Bird!'' between songs. If ever there has been a band in search of its audience, it's Drivin' 'n' Cryin.' Their name implies their contradictions as they play both guitar rave-ups and acoustic-flavored numbers with passion and flair. However, the result seems to be that their riffing big sound is too rowdy for the Americana crowd, while their folkie roots earn them catcalls at headbanging conventions. Case in point -- when I bought ``Mystery Road,'' the dude behind the counter sporting Zubaz and a Vince Neil haircut said, ``I think these guys suck!'' The first two songs on ``Mystery Road'' establish the identity crisis. ``Ain't It Strange'' is a shuffle featuring gorgeous mountain fiddle, while ``Toy Never Played With'' starts out as a by-the-numbers boogie tune that is saved in the end by frontman Kevn Kinney's off-the-cuff plaintive vocals. ``Honeysuckle Blue'' is the album's highlight. Featuring a killer start-and-stop riff, the lyrics describe the South as a place of beauty and wonder. ``Have you ever seen the Blue Ridge Mountains boy/Or the Chattahooche/Or the honeysuckle blue?'' Kinney asks toward the end of the song, which has got to be the only one that has ever made me reach for an atlas. Another highlight is ``With The People,'' a hushed, populist number maintaining that change is possible through patience and participation. A refreshing break from most pop politics, which tend to consist of sloganeering rhetoric or ``We Are The World'' feel-good fluff. The final two cuts on the album are also strong ones. ``Straight To Hell'' is a sad country cruncher whose chorus (``I'm going straight to hell/Just like my momma said'') is a fun campfire singalong. Then to totally confound everyone who thinks they have this band figured out, they end the album with ``Syllables,'' a loud 'n' fast Ramones homage (complete with the ``one two three four'' count at the start) that leaves no doubt to the band's ability to blow down some walls. It feels strange writing this, as I lost track of Drivin' 'n' Cryin' in the mid-'90s. I recall them leaning more and more on their heavy guitar side with mixed results, although rumor has it that they have lately returned to form. It might be worth a gamble on my part to get one of their recent efforts and hope for another album as good as ``Mystery Road.'' If nothing else, there's the possibility of more witty insights from the record store clerk. -- Bill Tuomala THINGS THAT ARE BUGGING ME: NBA stats (through Monday) POINTS BLOCKS STEALS ASSISTS REBOUNDS Tom Gugliotta 20.0 20 55 4.1 8.9 Vin Baker 19.7 43 60 1.8 7.9 Tim Duncan 17.6 107 28 2.5 11.5 Stephon Marbury 18.5 3 60 8.3 2.8 Nick Van Exel 15.4 4 39 7.6 3.4 Jason Kidd 10.2 7 93 9.2 6.4 Eddie Jones 18.2 27 96 3.0 3.6 That's it for this week. Like I always say, if you're ever so inclined, call me at 228-5553 or e-mail me at WALSHJIM@delphi.com. I reserve the right to respond to/ignore all messages. Just like you do. See you here next Thursday, or out and about. ...
|