Coachella 2013: Day 3 highlights from Three O'Clock, Dinosaur Jr., OMD, Dead Can Dance and more

My coverage of the third and final day of Coachella Weekend 2 originally ran on The Orange County Register Web site on Monday, April 22, 2013.

Sun sets on the final day of Coachella 2013. Photo: Robert Kinsler

Sunday (April 21, 2013) may be the day when even the most seasoned Coachella-goers run on fumes, especially with temps reaching into the mid-90s. But the force of several strong performances left me thinking: "If the music is this good, keep it coming."

At the start of the final rundown, about half past noon, Little Green Cars appeared in the Gobi tent for a seven-song set pitched somewhere amid the alt-folk of the Lumineers, the Civil Wars and Dawes. The Dublin quintet spun lush harmonies, showed off two gifted lead singers and mixed up complementary clean and distorted guitars in a way that made both sound necessary. The group ended its 30-minute run with "The John Wayne," a heartfelt tale of unrequited love wrapped in rich vocals.

Louis Gutierrez, left, and Michael Querico. Photo: Robert Kinsler

When I first heard earlier this year that the Three O'Clock would reunite for this Coachella, I wondered if it was the same band I used to see at area clubs in the early '80s. Fast forward to Sunday afternoon and there I was watching almost the original quartet serving up its stew of '60s greats like the Zombies, the Byrds and mid-era Beatles.

Led by singer-bassist Michael Querico and guitarist Louis Gutierrez, the band's fast-paced set included classics such as "Simon in the Park (With Tentacles)," a brilliant version of "Jet Fighter," even a hard take on Pink Floyd's "Lucifer Sam," something they shined with during their warm-up a couple weeks ago at the Glass House in Pomona. The songs were always more than they appeared, with punchy bass solos, evocative keyboards, sometimes 12-string Rickerbacker jangle and distinctive drum patterns all part of the attack.

A young twentysomething woman next to me noted that she had flown all the way from Japan just to see the group. Indeed, the Three O'Clock's return will be one of the things I'll remember most about Coachella 2013. Let's hope this is a reunion that sticks.

That bunch was the first of several veteran acts that turned in strong, well-received sets in Indio on Sunday. Performing on the Outdoor Theatre stage, legendary trio Dinosaur Jr. (boasting its original lineup of singer-guitarist J Mascis, bassist-singer Lou Barlow and drummer Murph), used its 50-minute allotment to blast through a set of mostly originals steeped in chainsaw guitar, feedback and distortion. They also toss in a reworking of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven," Mascis delivering Robert Smith's distinctive guitar lines with fluid bursts of staccato notes.

I then ran over to the main stage where O.C.'s own Social Distortion was just getting started.

There was little doubt leader Mike Ness, who noted how much better the crowd was this time, recognized the significance of this second chance at a lasting Coachella performance. He and his band turned in a set of best-known songs designed to impress even those positioned at the furthest reaches of the Empire Polo Club.

Opening with "Reach for the Sky," then diving into the crunchy "Bad Luck," the quartet's nine-song appearance ended with their long-loved and rocked-out version of the Johnny Cash classic "Ring of Fire," with a good-sized mosh pit breaking out, bringing a bit of Hootenanny to Indio.

Watching the crowd pack into the Gobi tent to watch Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) was an amazing sight. Here's a forebear that couldn't be more relevant to today's electro-pop scene, a New Wave fixture whose groundbreaking sound was no longer in fashion by the late '80s, yet who has proven how impossible it is to keep a good band down.

Singer-bassist Andy McCluskey was a ball of energy as he led his three bandmates and the party-minded multi-generational gathering of fans through the British troupe's classics as well as cuts from recent releaseEnglish Electric. The audience ate up the propulsive glee of "Enola Gay" and was caught up in the group's new single, "Metroland," but by the time OMD closed with "Secret" and the fast-paced "Electricity," I could actually feel the ground moving below my feet from thousands dancing frantically.

Lisa Gerrard, left, with Brendan Perry. Photo: Robert Kinsler

Mojave hosted one of the final performances of the fest, from genre-defying Dead Can Dance. Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard led an ensemble of four other musicians through an hour-long set of songs that blended world music, gothic rock and neoclassical together with trademark mystique. Perry's mighty baritone is as forceful as Gerrard's soaring soprano, and both took turns on lead vocals over the course of eight selections.

"Children of the Sun" opened with a range of percussion and keyboards used to cast a vast soundscape around Perry's delivery, while Middle Eastern sounds later graced "Agape," with Gerrard's voice in full flight. DCD's set ended with the wonderful "The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove," the outfit's stirring atmospherics providing an otherworldly backdrop to Perry's resonate vocals.

Sights and Sounds: Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Walter Trout

Here is the latest roundup of several new items from a couple of great artists...

EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE O.M.D. LIVE - ARCHITECTURE & MORALITY & MORE ON BLU-RAY MAY 7, 2013

On May 7 2013, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s first ever Blu-ray Live - Architecture & Morality & More.

Featuring the classic OMD line-up of Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Malcolm Holmes and Martin Cooper, this show was exclusively recorded on the band’s hugely successful UK and European tour in 2007. For the early part of this tour, including this concert recorded at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, the concert was split into two halves. The first part of the evening was a complete performance of the Architecture & Morality album, while the second half was a greatest hits set covering the rest of the band’s career. The concert is spectacularly presented with films specially created to complement the songs running on huge screens around the stage.

Architecture & Morality, originally released in 1981, is considered by many to be the pinnacle of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s career. This album, a staple of British New Wave and synthpop, spawned three Top 5 UK singles and the album itself peaked at No.3, as well as skyrocketing the band into worldwide recognition.

In addition to this two-tier concert, the Blu-ray includes bonus alternate edits of “Joan of Arc (Maid Of Orleans),” and “The New Stone Age,” as well as interviews with the band members and director Hari Haralambous.

Live – Architecture & Morality & More clearly underscores why the band are beloved by so many music fans. Additionally, there will be a new OMD studio album English Electric released on April 8 and the band will be on tour in April 2013!

Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV, Audio and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, U2, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osbourne. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 30 multi-platinum, over 50 platinum and over 90 gold discs, worldwide. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Toronto, Paris and Hamburg.

 

MASCOT LABEL GROUP'S PROVOGUE TO RELEASE

WALTER TROUT'S LUTHER'S BLUES ON JUNE 11, 2013

Title is Trout's First Covers Album in Illustrious Career In Tribune To Luther Allison

Walter Trout has released 22 solo albums over a career that has spanned the globe, and delivered notoriety as one of the great purveyors of the Blues. At the age of 62, in tribute to friend and legend, the late, great Luther Allison, he has recorded a album of covers for the very first time. Trout reveals, "I’ve thought about doing this album for years. Luther was one of the all-time greats, and it was just an unbelievably potent thing to watch him perform. Just the energy and commitment that guy had, he was one of a kind. We played together once, and just as we walked offstage, somebody pointed a camera and we hugged and smiled. And that photo is on the cover of the CD. When he died [in 1997], the idea of this album was planted in my brain." Luther's Blues will be released on June 11th via Mascot Label Group's Provogue.

Trout's back-story is a page-turner you won’t want to put down. Five decades in the making; it is equal parts thriller, romance, suspense and horror. There are musical fireworks, critical acclaim and fists-aloft triumph, offset by wilderness years and brushes with the jaws of narcotic oblivion. From 1973 when he left his New Jersey home headed to Los Angeles, he followed a road that afforded him an opportunity to just play, sharing the stage as a sideman with Jesse Ed Davis, Big Mama Thornton, Lowell Fulson, Joe Tex, and of course the great John Mayall following a 3 year tenure in Canned Heat. Trout recalls, "As far as being a blues-guitar sideman, the Bluesbreakers gig is the pinnacle. That’s Mount Everest. You could play with B.B. King or Buddy Guy, but you’re just gonna play chords all night. This guy features you. You get to play solos. He yells your name after every song, brings you to the front of the stage, and lets you sing. He creates a place for you in the world." And that destiny continued on down a road that has been nothing but prolific.

On March 6, 1989, the guitarist who had brought thrilling flammability to the Breakers’ sound and produced stone-cold classics including "One Life To Live," was newly sober and on his 38th birthday sensed the hand of destiny. He walked away from the Bluesbreakers, embarking on a solo career that has yielded a catalogue that establishes a deep legacy in the world of Blues. A quarter century later, what seemed like career suicide has been vindicated by 22 solo albums, a still-growing army of fans, and accolades including a nod as “the world’s greatest rock guitarist” in legendary DJ Bob Harris’ autobiography The Whispering Years, and a #6 placing on BBC Radio One’s countdown of the Top 20 Guitarists of All Time. Meanwhile, Trout’s most recent original album, Blues For The Modern Daze, was heralded by titles like Classic Rock Blues as perhaps his finest to date. In the U.S., USA Today selected the track "Lonely" as their Pick of the Week publishing, "Trout is the man who followed Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor as chief guitarist for John Mayall's blues outfit, and who had a long career as a leader of his own band. He brings all of his life experiences to bear on Modern Daze. " Trout offers, “I feel like with Modern Daze I found the style I’ve been searching for over 20 albums. It’s working, it comes out good, and I can play it well.”

Of all the peaks in Trout’s trajectory, his abiding memory of the late Chicago bluesman is perhaps the most literal. It’s 1986, and high above Lake Geneva, at the palatial Alpine chalet of late Montreux Jazz Festival Svengali Claude Nobs, lunch is being served. “So we’re up at the top of the Alps,” Trout recalls, “in this big room with John Mayall, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Robert Cray, Otis Rush, and as we’re eating, Dr. John is serenading us on acoustic piano. I sat there with Luther Allison, and we had a great talk."

This collection was bottled at Hollywood’s Entourage Studios alongside producer Eric Corne: the same combination that birthed 2012’s acclaimed solo release, Blues For The Modern Daze. The atmosphere, remembers Trout, was one of spit, grit and seat-of-the-pants energy: “Spontaneity is so important with this sort of music. Everybody was saying, ‘Well, aren’t you gonna get together and rehearse?’, but you don’t want to over-analyse or get too sterile. This album was all pretty much first or second takes. It’s gotta have warts on it. It’s gotta have a bit of grease in it.”

As Walter Trout powers into his 25th year as a solo star, there’s no whiff of the ennui or creative autopilot that hobbles the later output of most veterans. On the contrary, there’s a sense of growing momentum, perhaps even of a little surprise. “It’s hard to believe I’m still alive, to be honest,” he smiles. “I should have been dead by 30, with the life I was leading. But I still have a career, and at 62, I’m still climbing the ladder, which keeps it exciting, instead of trying to rekindle past glories. I feel like I play with more fire than when I was 25. I’m still reaching, y' know…?”

Inbox Update: Doheny Blues Fest update, OMD, She & Him

Here is the latest roundup of releases to land in my magical inbox...Jimmie Vaughan, OMD, She & Him - plenty of new music to look forward to for sure!

Doheny Blues Fest 2013: Jimmie Vaughan and
The Tilt-A-Whirl Band Featuring Lou Ann Barton

Jimmie & Lou Ann return to Doheny Blues after 10 years!

Jimmie Vaughan provides a vital link between contemporary music and its proud heritage, as well as being a longtime avatar of retro cool. In a career spanning more than 5 decades, Vaughan has won multiple Grammy Awards, appeared in several films and released 6 critically acclaimed solo albums. Not to mention, he was a founding member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Joining Vaughan in his Tilt-A-Whirl Band will be Texas female vocalist Lou Ann Barton. Barton is one of the finest purveyors of raw, unadulterated roadhouse blues and can belt out a lyric with poise and confidence. 

For more details on everything related to the upcoming festival, visit the new Doheny Blues Web site at dohenybluesfestival.com.

OMD REVEAL THEIR NEW ALBUM ARTWORK;

ENGLISH ELECTRIC OUT APRIL 9^TH ON BMG;

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES CONFIRMED

  

BMG is excited to reveal the artwork for the soon-to-be-released OMD album, English Electric. Throughout their storied career, the band's cover art has always been an extension of their sound and they put a great deal of care into it; the new album's cover was designed by Tom Skipp and the band's creative director, the legendary Peter Saville.

OMD will perform at Coachella 2013

OMD's Andy McCluskey says: "It feels appropriate that the sleeve of English Electric is a contemporary distillation of traditional hazard signals."

Peter Saville says: "English Electric is best described as brutally simple dynamic energy...Briefed by OMD to be as reductive as possible, the cover captures but barely contains the hi-tension of an industrial legend."

English Electric is out April 9^th on BMG. A 12-track letter to technology, space and love, it's a grand return to form, the follow-up to 2010's LP History of Modern and comes in a variety of formats:

* Standard CD - jewel case
* Deluxe edition - limited edition media book, CD + Bonus DVD includes a studio interview with Andy and Paul, 3 Henning M Lederer animated videos and unseen tour photos

* Vinyl LP - limited edition, Die Cut sleeve, heavy weight vinyl, includes album on CD

* Boxset - ultimate collectors format, limited and signed by Andy and Paul on an English Electric certificate of authenticity. The tin, with embossed OMD logo and artwork print, includes an exclusive 7" with un-released b-side, 16 page lyric booklet, DVD, Demo CD, Album CD, 3 artwork prints, a photo of Andy and Paul, and all pre order via the website include 2 metal enamel badges.

OMD have confirmed North American Tour dates, beginning April 4 in Vancouver, BC, and ending on the second weekend of Coachella on April 21. The band will return in July. The complete list of tour dates is below:

April

5 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC

6 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA

7 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR

10 - The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT

12 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA

14 - Coachella Festival - Indio, CA

18 - Metropolitan Theatre - Mexico City, MX

21 - Coachella Festival - Indio, CA

July

8 - Varsity Theatre - Minneapolis, MN

9 - Metro - Chicago, IL

11 - Danforth Music Hall - Toronto, ON

12 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA

13 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC

15 - Paradise - Boston, MA

17 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY

http://www.omd.uk.com/

She & Him amping up for 2013 with new album and summertime tour

Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward – will release their third album of original material, Volume 3, on Merge Records on May 7 and the following week in UK/Europe. The duo hit the road for a month-long tour this summer (see the full list of tour dates below).

 

With 14 songs – 11 Deschanel originals and three covers (including U2) – Volume 3 was produced by Wardand features guest contributions from NRBQ’s Joey Spampinato, Mike Watt, Tilly and the Wall, Pierre de Reeder from Rilo Kiley, and Tom Hagerman from Devotchka.

Since the release of the band’s album Volume Two in 2010, Deschanel's TV show New Girlmade her a sitcom star as she continued to hone her songwriting skills, pend the show's theme song and got nominated for a Grammy for Best Original Song for the movie Winnie the Pooh.

 

She wrote songs for Volume 3 during downtime while filming New Girl, as Ward toured behind his latest solo CD, A Wasteland Companion, released to critical acclaim last year. Together and separately, the duo has sold over a million albums domestically.

 

Track listing for Volume 3:

1. I’ve Got Your Number, Son
2. Never Wanted Your Love
3. Baby
4. I Could’ve Been Your Girl
5. Turn to White
6. Somebody Sweet to Talk To
7. Something’s Haunting You
8. Together
9. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me
10. Snow Queen
11. Sunday Girl
12. London
13. Shadow of Love
14. Reprise (I Could’ve Been Your Girl)

Tour dates:

6/13/13 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
6/15/13 Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie
6/16/13 Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theatre
6/18/13 Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theater
6/19/13 Las Vegas, NV @ The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
6/21/13 San Diego, CA @ SDSU Open Air Theatre
6/22/13 Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre *
6/23/13 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl *
6/25/13 Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Gardens
6/27/13 Council Bluffs, IA @ Hurrah’s Stir Cove
6/29/13 Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom #
7/1/13 Ann Arbor, MI @ Hill Auditorium #
7/3/13 Montreal, QUE @ Montreal Jazz Festival – Symphony Hall #
7/4/13 Toronto, ON @ Toronto Urban Roots Festival #
7/6/13 New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage #
7/9/13 Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center for Performing Arts #
7/10/13 Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion #
7/11/13 Vienna, VA @ Filene Center at Wolf Trap #

* with Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
# with Camera Obscura