Journalism is a profession of many delights.
Not many workers have the pleasure of receiving anonymous
letters explaining why they should quit or be fired--but
I do! And it is a persuasive case: too young; not hip enough;
too hip; and worst of all, not even from Portland!
Unfortunately, my landlord takes a dim view of non-payment,
and as much as I'd love to help keep Oregon's glorious heritage
free of contamination, I can't live without some of the
other perks of the job.
Like the new CD single by genetically manipulated Swedish
pop Übermensch Bosson, for instance.
We Live (Capital) is a peerless slice of
lobotomized trash, as endearingly brainless as a young calf.
In this age of boy-band supremacy, expect to see Bosson's
chilly Aryan visage gazing from the bedroom walls of the
nation's pubescents soon.
Happily, this month's mailbag also yields work by artists
who survived childhood without suffering hammer blows to
the skull. While schlumpy Jerseyite looks and stubbornly
smart music rule it out of the race for mass popularity,
Yo La Tengo continues to mine a rich vein of atmospheric
not-quite-rock. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
(Matador) is about as quiet and meditative as it gets. By
the time the mesmerizing, 17-minute last track unspools,
you'll almost be on the nod. And you'll like it.
Ex-Whiskeytown songstress Kim Richey reprises
the same ethereal country lament 14 times on Glimmer
(Mercury), pathos erased by slick pop-country production,
weightless as the latest Nashville creampuff.
If you want grrl-country, try Neko Case and Her Boyfriends.
With a South-soaked, brassy voice, Case nails the rough-hewn
honky-tonk feel of The Real Thing. Furnace Room Lullaby
(Bloodshot) is a hard-drinking heartbreaker.
Local singer-slash-songwriter McKinley goes over
well in Europe; in fact, she's using a month-long showcase
at the Mad Hatter as a warm-up for a Continental
tour. Big Top Shop Talk (Samson) strays toward
well-trodden coffeeshop folk territory. Thankfully, though,
surprising spirals of guitar, an endearing shambolic quality
and a high-gloss version of the The Artist's "When
Doves Cry" pull off a save.
It's always interesting to see what bands do after their
15 seconds of fame have elapsed. Sometimes even refreshing.
Even though the Poster Children flirted with 120
Minutes-level success with the catchily stupid "If You
See Kay" years ago, the '90s rock explosion passed 'em by.
Respect is due, though--DDD (spinART) sounds
like the work of a brand-new band instead of road-weary
indie warriors. Harnessing the Children's always-kinetic
live show, DDD blasts off with the cheeky insouciance
of early Who singles. Score one for the veterans.
I was wondering what the Suicide Machines would
do now that ska-punk is no long "the new grunge." Their
self-titled album on Hollywood Records packs a surprising
answer: turn out sparkling, '80s-ish pop, cranked up really
high. Some of it's terrible, but it's a step in a bold new
direction.
Then again, striving onward isn't always worth it. Seattle's
faux-Beatlesque Posies were one of the least exciting
bands of the mid-decade Northwest upheaval, a title they
defend manfully on the clunky live disc Alive Before
the Iceberg (Houston Party). Canada's The Tragically
Hip celebrate their baffling longevity by re-releasing
six albums. If the promotional anthology 1989-1999
(Sire) is any indication, the Hip's popularity up North
will remain something of a mystery to American audiences.
Or at least to me.
After you run right out and buy all those records, consider
the bizarre cine-musical treat offered this week by Dennis
Nyback at the wild 'n' crazy Clinton Street Theater.
The rambunctious art house showcases an almost-forgotten
pop artifact with Scopitone-A-Go-Go.
The Scopitone, it seems, was a sort of video jukebox found
in bars and restaurants in the '50s and '60s. Pop hits of
the day would be matched with weird vid vignettes, often
of a somewhat bawdy nature. Unfortunately, the fact that
Scopitone shorts were often unauthorized and controlled
by shady types insured their eventual extinction.
Nyback, however, refuses to let go. The Clinton's one-night
Scopitone showcase draws on music by Debbie Reynolds
and Vic Damone, among many others. Oh, and they'll
be pouring suds at the picture-house, too--so if you, like
me, need to ease the pain, look no further.
Hi-Fi
Blitzkreig rules:
Each record is guaranteed five minutes. And nothing else!
Kim Richey, Chuck Prophet, Ryan Adams
Aladdin Theater 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 233-1994
8 pm Saturday, Feb. 12
$12 advance, $14 at the door
Neko Case and Her Boyfriends
Satyricon 125 NW 6th Ave., 243-2380
10 pm Friday, March 3
Cover
McKinley
Mad Hatter Lounge 203 SE Grand Ave., 231-2925
9 pm every Tuesday in March
Yo La Tengo
Aladdin Theater 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 233-1994
8 pm Wednesday, March 8
$12.50
Scopitone-A-Go-Go
Clinton Street Theater 2522 Clinton St., 238-8899
11 pm Friday, Feb. 11
Free
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Willamette Week | originally
published February 9,
2000
|
