Featuring the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Bloody Valentine, Devendra Banhart, The Cure, Lykke Li, Antony and the Johnsons and Peter Bjorn and John.


[Yeah Yeah Yeahs]

[My Bloody Valentine]

[Devendra Banhart]

[The Cure]

[Lykke Li]

[Antony And The Johnsons]

[Peter Bjorn And John]

Since we just told you about The Shins parting ways with their long time record label Sub Pop… possibly forever, we deemed it only necessary to bring you back to the fresh young days of The Shins’ success when Oh, Inverted World was just a newly released record from a few New Mexico-born Indie-rock hopefuls, and “New Slang” was just some song Natalie Portman made Zach Braff listen to in that movie Garden State.

James Mercer started the Shins as a side-project while he was working with Flake Music. Flake dissembled, and Mercer began putting greater focus on The Shins, taking influences from the likes of The Smiths and The Cure and integrating their stylings into his song writing. The end product of Mercer’s skilled songwriting chops mixed with the talent of the rest of the band’s members led to the creation of The Shins’ trademark sound, which eventually got the band signed on to Sub Pop records in 2001. 

The Shins released their first album, Oh, Inverted World, off of Sub Pop in 2001. The album was critically acclaimed upon release, but took some time to catch up to the success of what it is now known for. It wasn’t until three years later, in 2004, that The Shins began gaining exposure when the now-cult-classic film Garden State used their music on the soundtrack. The film marketed The Shins to a wider audience, causing the band to gain prominence; inevitably giving The Shins the momentum they needed to be considered the indie rock veterans we see them them now. 

We’re not sure why the Shins would want to separate themselves from Sub Pop, but what we do know is that the pair have put out some signature records in the past eight years, and we’ll be curious to see if the band will be able to produce another classic like “New Slang” on this writing hiatus of theirs. For now, the video will just have to do.

The Shins – “New Slang”

It’s a bit like running through razor blades then diving into a swimming pool full of rubbing alcohol when a band takes on groups like The Cure, Bloc Party, Jane’s Addiction, New Order and Franz Ferdinand: the chances of catastrophe and painful death are magnified by 47 million.

Many acts have tried to ape their heroes and have failed miserably (see Bauhaus doppelgangers She Wants Revenge). The Killers have attempted to mug U2, Springsteen and Joy Division for their sound and the results have, for the most part, been more lukewarm than killer. The one-time touted second coming of rock, The Strokes, attempted to borrow from the Television and Lou Reed songbooks and quicker than you can say “Marquee Moon” the band went the way of the dodo bird.

But sometimes, when the clouds part, the seas grow calm and beasts large and small live together in harmony, a band that covets their influences and shapes said influences into something all their own comes along. That band in this case is Kansas City, Missouri’s, Queens Club.

QC first began gathering attention through their expansive live shows and a strong push from Kansas City alternative rock radio station 96.5 The Buzz, specifically the Sunday evening local music showcase Homegrown Buzz. Early last year the newly formed band (Tyler Bottles – bass, Jake Ryan – drums/ programming, Daniel Eaton – vocals/guitars and Andrew Nichols – guitars/vocals/programming) became a local sensation with their debut single “Nightmarer” and word of mouth was so strong that late last year they did a showcase for the record label Tooth and Nail.

Though no deal is set as of yet, Tyler Bottles told me that they are optimistic. “We’re really hoping to get signed, every band that makes music wants to have their music heard. But if we don’t, we’ll release it ourselves and see what happens.”

The album, so far untitled, is a perfect storm of Euro dance rock, indie sophistication and a sprinkling of punk rock’s filth and fury snottiness (see the pummeling track “I’m American”); all aspects of the Queens Club dynamic fit together smoothly like cogs in a well oiled machine. It’s almost frightening to me that a band that’s only been together a little over a year can kick out a debut this tight, well written and infectious. Yes, the clouds have parted, dogs are living peacefully with their feline friends and the rock Gods have smiled on this Midwestern band. Take my advice: When they come to your town, go and see them in the club because soon enough, they’ll be selling out stadiums.

Listen to Queen’s Club here.

Noel Fielding wants Robert Smith to guest star in the upcoming Mighty Boosh film, Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon shared the stage for the first time in a decade and Pete Doherty said he has ways of convincing Carl Barat to reunite The Libertines. Yes, it was all going down at the NME Shockwave awards. But, honestly — can you expect any less from a program that sends its winners home with a giant bronzed middle finger?

The award categories in last night’s ceremony ranged from the standard stuff (Best International Band went to The Killers, while Best British Band went to Oasis) to the slightly more whimsical (the award for Godlike Genius went to Robert Smith and The Cure) to the completely out of place (Villain of the year for the sixth year running was George W. Bush, with Hero of the Year going to President Barack Obama, because apparently even the British would’ve Baracked the vote, had they been allowed the opportunity).

But in between giving out top honors for wardrobe choices, both best (Alexa Chung) and worst (Amy Winehouse), there were some notable happenings. The most notable, of course, was the on-stage reunion of Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon. Their first time playing together in nearly a decade, they performed a stripped-down version of “This Is a Low.” Albarn said the preparations for the impending Blur reunion are going well, and that they’re “taking it really easy …. just doing it once a week and enjoying it — playing every album, every song.”

But they weren’t the only ones talking reunions — not shockingly, Pete Doherty still has dollar signs (or probably pound signs, really) floating in front of his eyes and is determined to cash in on a Libertines reunion. Doherty took home the award for Best Solo Artist last night, and told NME that he will convince Carl Barat to get the band back together. The two did a joint interview in which Barat didn’t seem as adamant as he was before that a reunion was out of the question. Doherty said he would twist his arm. Literally.

It was also a big night for The Cure, with the band taking home the award for Godlike Genius (presented by Tim Burton, for no other discernable reason than that he looks eerily like Robert Smith), and Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh declaring his desire to have Robert Smith play his uncle in the upcoming Mighty Boosh film. The show won the award for Best TV Show.

And then there was Dizzie Rascal, who proved you can actually be completely unaware you were nominated for an award and still take one home.

Finally, it must be said: any award show that a.) has categories for the worst band and worst album of the year and b.) gives both of those awards to The Jonas Brothers, is a-okay in our book.

We thought since The Cure was just announced to headline (again) the final day of Coachella 2009, we should take you back to a time when Robert Smith still had asexual appeal.

The Cure have been making music videos for their singles since the video for “A Forest” in 1980. The band’s early videos are loathed by the band, quoted as being “dreadful affairs” because of their often poor quality, and “Jumping Someone Else’s Train” fits that description.

The song was on their debut LP Three Imaginary Boys, but not that version. It was on the American release of the record, which the title was changed to reflect their most popular single at the time, Boys Don’t Cry. Ironically, “Boys Don’t Cry” wasn’t even on the original and was also later added to the U.S. version, along with “Killing an Arab” (sung as “Killing Another”). Interesting side note; a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” with vocals sung by Michael Dempsey appears on the original version of The Imaginary Boys, but was removed for the American release. Smith has stated that “songs like ‘Object’ and ‘World War’ and our cover of ‘Foxy Lady’ were [Chris Parry's] choice, even though they were diabolical and I hated them.” The record company decided which songs were put on the album, as well as the cover artwork, without Robert Smith’s consent. For all Cure albums since, Smith has ensured he is given complete creative control over the final product before it goes on sale.

The Cure “Jumping Someone Else’s Train”

Dedicated to those songs that I can’t stop playing, humming, or thinking about; the 4+ minutes you fall head-over-heels in love with. Past instances have included Tender Box’s “Spectacular Spider-Man Theme” Johnny Cash’s “Ghost Riders In The Sky” and Run-DMC’s “It’s Tricky.”

I get angry music. I understand it. You scream, you yell. You’re pissed and you wanna have something to get you even more angry. But depressing music doesn’t depress me. “Untitled” is a quintessential example of my misguided joy in a supposedly dreary song. My wife is the resisdent Cure expert of our house, and I was delighted to tell her how I was lost in the world of this closing track of “Disintegration”. But as we discussed the song, I let it slip that “Untitled” made me feel good, and she slammed the breaks. “You feel good listening to this? It’s a Cure song.”

“I know. It’s beautiful and delicate and precise. That weird ‘air organ’ at the beginning — that sounds like the one that was upstairs in my Grandma’s old house — it draws me in every time for the big crashing drums and the main part of the song. The whole song is lovely.”

“Yeah…” she stared at me over her iced tea. “But it’s a Cure song.”

Maybe I wasn’t paying attention, and that wouldn’t be the first time. I give lyrics some attention, but not my full attention unless it’s about a very simple story (like how girls from different regions of our nation are all unique, but they should be encouraged to move closer to the Pacific ocean). The first line in “Untitled” is “Hopelessly adrift in the eyes of a ghost again,” so how happy could the song really be? But I can’t deny how a song from the poster boys of gloom makes me feel, and it makes me feel good. My own feelings of happiness when playing “Untitled” are completely misplaced, but actually not at all. It’s all about what the listener brings to the game, and that’s why Roger Ebert is misguided.

Let me explain.

Of the many rules and beliefs Roger Ebert holds about movies, he has one which has never set with me. He believes that there is only joy to be found in good movies, and only bad movies are depressing. I suppose I know what he really means — that seeing a finely crafted piece dissect a depressing topic is more joyous than watching a horribly constructed hunk of garbage — but he’s going at the problem like a critic first and a human being second. By this rationale, one could find himself “enjoying” a viewing of United 93, which seems impossible. Depressing movies, by design, depress me and I’m certain I’m not alone. I distinctly remember watching the well crafted, acted, shot, etc. “Boys Don’t Cry,” and feeling midway through that:
A. This story was gonna end badly for Brandon Teena,
B. I had known it was going to end badly before I even bought my ticket, and C. why would I put myself through this pain?

Sure enough, the Oscar-worthy Swank got messed up in a messed up way, leaving me shaken and depressed. I was joylous and inconsolible.

Now I’m not arguing that “depressing” or “sad” movies are bad or should be avoided, but I am arguing that all movies — especially well made ones — are convincing. They snare your mind for two hours and convince you to connect with one or more of the characters, and this emotional connection can lead to eventual heartbreak just like in real life, only much more trivial. Movies have it all over music in this regard. Movies are emotional convincing machines.

Music, on the other hand, is less about convincing and more about supporting. Your mood can be “scored” by the right song, and then… well, you end up with a column like this dedicated to those moments of emotional harmony. And while Ebert’s rule does not apply to my movie watching, it works perfectly for my music listening. By nature, “good” music — despite any emotional resonance of happy, sad, angry, exciting, sexy, etc. — is built on harmony, and harmony equates with feeling good. It sounds good, so it feels good. What’s “good” depends on the circumstances of your life, but that’s why you have a music collection. For whatever reason, my life last week needed to be scored by this song and lyrics be damned, it made me feel great.

Many could argue that the Cure’s reputation is based on depression, but this is more of a comment on the baggage brought on by their fans than by the band itself. So much of pop music is based on style and flair and flash and image that people become as careless about paying attention to the content, just like how I don’t pay attention to lyrics. The Cure’s music does not depress people; depressed people listen to the Cure. Listening to their music doesn’t make people depressed, just as listening to The Smiths doesn’t make people gay or listening to the Rolling Stones doesn’t make people sexist and occasionally gay. The nice part is that depressed people seem to enjoy harmonious music just as much as non-depressed people, so a common ground can be reached.

I just realized that I’ve logically proven that I’m not a depressed person. I’m happy enough I’m going to play “Untitled” again.