trespassers william; quiet fury

trespassers william is that rare band, like the Cocteau Twins and Sigur Ros, able to stir the air with a mix of emotive vocals, effects-drenched guitar work and artistic attention to using a evocative mix of spacious sounds to enhance intricate melodies.

It’s a recipe best heard to appreciate, and that’s exactly what an increasing number of listeners are doing. Sigur Ros’ latest effort “Takk…” was truly one of the best albums of 2005 and has earned the Icelandic outfit a featured slot at the upcoming Coachella Music Festival next month, and now Orange County-spawned trespassers william has matched that style of brilliance on its third full-length effort, “having”(released Feb. 28, 2006). Among the best songs on trespassers williams’ “having” are the remarkable “safe, sound,” melodic “my hands up,” sparse “no one” and haunting “low point.”
The disc closes with “matching weight,” an ambitious song that builds and immerses the listener in layers of sound including for the last six or so minutes when notes both dissonant and beautiful dance a sonic ballet together outside the confines of any traditional structure.

“Mostly it was just a change of pace. We had done some touring up here and we had started to fall in love with the area,” said guitarist-keyboardist Matt Brown of the group’s decision to relocate to Seattle inJanuary 2005. I interviewed him by phone earlier this month.
“We were all scattered throughout Southern California– in L.A., Long Beach and Orange County and all over the place – it was taking an hour and a half to get to rehearsal. It was getting kind of complicated and we didn’t necessarily all want to move to L.A. and Seattle was a city we all kind of agreed we could be central at that had a really great music scene and was beautiful,” Brown explained. In addition to Brown, trespassers william alsoincludes singer-guitarist Anna-Lynne Williams and bassist-keyboardist Ross Simonini. Long-time drummerJamie Williams recently left the group; drummer Nathan Skolrud will be playing for the group when they tour this spring. The tour will include a number ofSouthern California dates, including a homecoming show at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa on Thursday, April 20.

Completing “having” was remarkably easy, despite the fact that it marked the first time in the 10-year-old troupe’s career they chose to include an outside producer in the process.
“We pretty much did everything by our selves except when we went to Buffalo (Tarbox Road Studios) to mix it. Dave Fridmann has such a distinct style that even though he just mixed it; he is credited with co-production because of the arrangements – some he totally flipped on their heads. Some he left intact,”Brown recalled. “So it’s really probably the most of both (working alone, and collaborating with someone outside of theband); we’ve kind of been self-produced before but we’ve also had to sneak into the studio when we had a few free hours. So this is the first time we’ve actually had a big chunk of time to really make a record.”

The results are stunning and fans of artful otherworldly rock are lavishing “having” with praise.

“The record (‘having’) actually happened really fast. ‘Different Stars’ we did at the studio where I used to work at in Orange County (Sonikwire Studios in Irvine)– those guys were nice enough if there was free time to drag everyone, that’s why it took so long,” Brown said. “And then ‘having’ took so long, (but) not because we didn’t have the songs. ‘Different Stars’ got picked up by Bella Union first and then we did touring and then it got picked up by Nettwerk and all of these things just happened one after another, we did a lot of the writing at our rehearsal space in Santa Ana and at the end of last year, October to December (of 2004) a lot of the arranging and then pretty much over the course of just one month did all of the recording (in January2005). And then we did a couple of weeks here and a touch up at home and then about nine days of mixing with Dave and then we sat on it for awhile waiting forit to get mastered just because of label release dates and all that…”

And because of modern technology, fans going to see the band will hear trespassers william with the kind of expansive sound featured on record, a clear departure from the band’s semi-acoustic early live shows.
“Actually, it’s more like the records than it has been,” said Brown.“We have a set-up where there is a keyboard and synth-bass, and then like a little desk with a mixer and some effects…it’s probably more electric than acoustic these days.”

Catching up

Okay, okay. I don't post enough. Sorry!

But I've been busy listening and writing. You can read my Laurence Juber preview story in today's edition of the Orange County Register's Dana Point News. The legendary guitarist, who was with Paul McCartney's Wings from 1978 until 1981, is an amazing fingerstyle guitarist. He plays in Dana Point on Friday, March 24 and in Mission Viego on Sunday, March 26.

Also, make sure to catch up with my weekly Orange Pop column that runs on Fridays in the Show section of the OC Register. I featured Handsome Devil last Friday (March 17th) and I review a trio of local debuts in my column that runs tomorrow (March 24).

I'll check in with you again later today or tomorrow. Promise!

Rock Hall fall; does anyone care?

I saw today on Billboard.com all the reporting from the 21st annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction dinner, held on March 13 (I can't say I'm sorry I missed it; I was watching a great new episode of "24").

Looking over the list of so-called rock icons and those inducted, I have to honestly say "Who cares?" Black Sabbath didn't perform; Ozzy Osbourne is burned out and should just fade away. Apparently, whenever he was asked a question in the press room, he apparently couldn't really hear very well and didn't say anything very insightful. Kind of like that stupid MTV show he did a few years ago that I couldn't stomach.

When it came to the Sex Pistols, they didn't even show up.

Blondie was kind of bizarre, with apparently some of the various members not getting along anymore. I wouldn't have cared 25 years ago and I still don't care. Especially when a band is celebrated for such disposable fluff as "Call Me" and "Rapture." I would much rather have seen the Cars (the most successful American new wave band of the late 1970s) or the Smithereens (they released their debut "Girls About Town" in 1980) get in there.

I'm torn about Lynyrd Skynyrd. I guess they deserve to get in. I just don't hear their music and think it belongs in the company of U2, the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Queen. It's like bands such as ZZ Top, Billy Joel and Aerosmith - they are pretty good (and commercially successful) bands but shouldn't the Hall be reserved for the best of the best in terms of artistry? I guess in an age where we can't give any child a failing grade because it might hurt their self esteem, that's what we're left with...

Miles Davis was a great jazz musician. Very deserving of many accolades. But until rockers such as Hall & Oates, the Cure, Badfinger and Cheap Trick get in, why is the Rock Hall worrying about jazz players? I don't get it...

Catch-up time

I have not been posting lately. Sorry.

I have been listening to music, writing my weekly columns for the OC Register and all that stuff, but nothing significant has compelled me to put down anything here as of late. So I just wanted to check in, say "hello" to you and share a non-music related item here.

I read today that NASA is honoring Walter Cronkite with an actual moon rock. I have a story about Walter Cronkite to share with you. In spring of 2004, I went to Orlando, Florida to attend a communications conference. While on my way back to Orange County, California, at the Orlando airport and waiting for the security check, right next to me in a wheelchair being wheeled by several airport/security persons was legendary CBS Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite. Everyone in line pretty much recognizes him and is pointing at him, etc. Although he has difficulty moving (he was in his late 80s two years ago), security makes him take off his shoes and checks him out as if he might be a terrorist. Is this junk silly or not? How many of the terrorist attacks in America, Israel, Iraq and everywhere Islamic facists are targeting innocents have been carried out by retired American newscasters?

I understand NASA is giving Cronkite, who is now around 90, a piece of the moon in rcognition of his decades of covering the space program. Our society should be going after the real terrorists, checking people coming from places such as Saudi Arabia and Yemen and making sure we know where all those people are.

Junos join race to bottom

We just survived the Grammys. Now, what to make of the upcoming Juno Awards, Canada's answer to the America's Grammy Awards.

I'm not going to reflect on every category. I don't have time, and I truthfully don't know all the artists well enough. But in the International Album Of The Year category, they have two albums that are a joke. Gwen Stefani's "Love.Angel.Music.Baby" and Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" are up for consideration. Artistry is obviously not the issue. I agree that female artists should be in the category; what about Aimee Mann's "The Forgotten Arm" or the Magic Numbers' self-titled debut - both released last year.

And I'm not sure, but why wasn't Neil Young (a native of Canada) nominated for "Prairie Wind" in that category. A wonderful album, at least it earned Young nominations in Best Songwriter and Adult Alternative Album categories where the winners will be announced on April 2.

However, credit our friends up north for nominated the LIVE 8 show from Toronto that featured a range of artists including Young, Bruce Cockburn and Tom Cochrane in the Music DVD of the Year field. Nice going.

Grammys: the good, the bad & the ugly

In the big scheme of things, I guess it doesn’t really matter.
The 48th annual Grammy Awards were staged at Staples Center in Los Angeles last night, and there was that anticipated mix of well-deserved prizes and ones that just left me shaking my head in disgust.
I tend to be negative when discussing the Grammys, so let me start out being positive. U2 was awarded “Album of the Year” for its great release “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.”
In fact, much is being made today about U2 upstaging Mariah Carey because the Irish quartet took home a total of five Grammys – winning in all of its nominated categories. Hello! I’m sure most of the readers of this column agree U2 crafts epic, lasting songs that will be listened to decades from now. Mariah Carey? Are you kidding?
Her over-the-top performance left me reaching for the mute button on my remote!
But her performance outdistanced the peculiar return by Sly Stone. I know Sly is a funk icon and all that, but it wasn’t just the clownish white Mohawk extending high above his head; he looked like he couldn’t hit the right note on his keyboard if his life depended on it. It’s not surprising he hasn’t made a public performance that anyone knows about in forever. Pathetic.
It was great to see a few of the performances: U2 tearing through “Vertigo” (how sad that the duet with Mary J. Blige ruined “One”), McCartney and his band conquering “Fine Line” and trying to wake up the comatose crowd with boisterous “Helter Skelter.” I thought Bruce Springsteen appeared to be trying too hard (maybe because he was focusing on how he could get his anti-war quip in, “Bring them home” under the tape-delay censors), but “Devils and Dust” is an excellent song not heard enough by the industry-centric crowd that filled the L.A. arena on Wednesday night. And don’t forget about Coldplay, who delivered the band’s great “Talk.”
And I have to admit to enjoying the way Stevie Wonder and co-presenter Alicia Keys got the crowd singing along with an a cappella version of “Higher Ground,” much better than Madonna’s been-there-done-that dance-minded performance with poorly-animated apes Gorillaz. Bore-ing.
Perhaps the most interesting performance was the fusion of rockers Linkin Park, rapper Jay-Z and McCartney joining forces to perform “Yesterday.” It was every bit the success that the U2-Blige pairing was not.
Am I the only one who doesn’t get John Legend? Technically the guy can hit the right notes when he is singing and on his keyboard; but his voice lacks the distinctive beauty of a Wonder or even Maroon 5’s lead singer. It’s amazing he bested British rock trio Keane for Best New Artist. Hype often rules the day.
And did you know the much-deserving Aimee Mann won a Grammy? Well, sort of. Actually, she won a Grammy for the Best Recording Package. And her amazing music? Not even nominated.
That is a good place to note that the disposable Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway” (coming soon to a used bin near you) won over McCartney’s “Chaos and Creation in the Backyard” in the Best Pop Vocal Album race. Sad.
Perhaps the most ironic note was how comedian Ellen DeGeneres came out to introduce Paul McCartney, noting “Our next performer needs no introduction” before she left the stage.
Ironically, looking at the industry crowd and deciphering how McCartney, as well as Neil Young, failed to pick up a single Grammy, it’s easy to see a time when great artists will need introductions. Kelly Clarkson winning multiple Grammys and the aforementioned seminal artists none?
Some things never change.

Grammys Eve

Tomorrow the Grammy Awards arrive. It's interesting to see where the focus is today on the eve of the event. I just read an article by Associated Press Music Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody, with the focus of that piece on Mariah Carey and how timely her comeback is as the Wednesday night, Feb. 8th awards night approaches.

Does anyone really think this so-called diva's music will be remembered beyond the hype of today? I could be wrong, of course, but listening to her over-the-top bombast and emotionally-chilled vocals, I can't help but think "who cares?" Is it just me? And she is in fine company this year, with Gwen Stefani nominated for something or another related to her forgettable solo debut "Love. Angel. Music. Baby."

U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" and Paul McCartney's "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" are also nominated and deserve to be; now those are wonderful albums full of emotional depth and musical craft that showcase why pop music can still weave magic decades after it was born. Yet, McCartney has never won a Grammy for best album. He has won Grammys, dating back to his epic work with the Beatles. But it's amazing to think that Stefani and Carey might rob an artist of McCartney's standing from earning that prize.

But don't be surprised. It's the Grammys and that often means music comes last...

Coachella; then and next

Of course, lots to report on "Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival."

Before I get into today's announcements, I did get to attend the L.A. premiere of the film on January 19, 2006. I meant to post my thoughts about the full-length film the next day, but I had to cover NAMM (the huge music conference) in Anaheim that day and all day the following day, so I was beat.

But the film is excellent. It's impossible to include performances from every act that has played since the fest's launch last century. So the director of the film, Drew Thomas (who was at the screening and made introductions), kind of puts you there. You get a sense of what makes Coachella so unique and so real. And all about the music. My favorite performances in the film came from Morrissey and Radiohead, but the overall film itself captures the magic in a way most recent concert pics have failed. When Zero 7 played, it reminded me of Hendrix at the Woodstock, a kind of saddness that rarely comes across on the silver screen in rock movies...

Now, today they announced the initial list of acts performing at the upcoming 7th annual Coachella, to be held in Indio on Saturday and Sunday, April 29-30. We already knew about Depeche Mode, but now comes word that Depeche Mode will be the final act on Saturday, while Tool will close the whole thing on Sunday. Other acts include two I haven't seen before and am really looking forward to seeing, Scotland outfit Franz Ferdinand and Iceland's Sigur Ros.

Sunday's highlights will likely come in sets delivered by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Scissor Sisters, Bloc Party and Sleater-Kinney. But then part of the magic of Coachella is not knowing who will blow you away.

Duran Duran at the new Key Club at Morongo

I plead guilty. It has been far too long since I've posted any truths here.

I have plenty of excuses. I've been busy attending musical events and writing about them for the Register and it's been crazy these past few weeks.

On Saturday, Jan. 14, I did go to the official launch of the new Key Club located inside the Morongo Casino Resort at Cabazon. I had never seen Duran Duran before, and especially since this was the original lineup playing in an intimate venue, it sounded like fun.

And if catching the band tear through 75 minutes or so of most of their biggest hits (they did omit "Rio," surprisingly) wasn't enough to get you there, checking out the newest club in the Southland sounded promising.

Duran Duran Set List at Key Club at Morongo

Hungry like the Wolf
Planet Earth
Is There Something I Should Know
Sound of Thunder
The Reflex
Ordinary World
Save a Prayer
Sunrise
Notorious
Nice
Girls on Film
(end of regular set; encore is below)
A View to a Kill
Wild Boys

I had expected there to be some excitement in the crowd, especially since near the stage it was strictly standing. To put it mildly, I was crushed. Many, many excited women who were revisiting their youths, big time. But to Duran Duran's credit, the band was great and many of the songs were delivered wonderfully. "Sunrise," "Nice" and "A View to a Kill" were among my favorites. The group's musical skills shone throughout the energetic set.

And the club is very posh. Check it out. www.keyclubmorongo.com.

A question of time

I spent most of this past weekend going through filing CDs, figuring out where to possibly put the growing number of releases I have. Which ones to keep handy. Which ones to put in storage, etc.

From the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen to Radiohead and Neil Young, I can't believe how much music has been produced in my lifetime. And how much of it is pretty good.

With all the bad news, and it comes relentlessly, it's good to know I can retreat and listen to a song. And there are plenty of songs to choose from. And even more in the wake of a pretty good 2005!

Best of 2005: 20 gems to recommend

It should come as no surprise that selecting and ranking the best albums of the year is among the most difficult tasks a pop critic undertakes. This list ranks albums, with my top choice being first (Neil Young being #1) and so on. I often get asked why a specific artist didn't make my list; often it's because I never received or had a chance to hear the album. For example, I never heard the Rolling Stones' "A Bigger Bang" or Kanye West's "Late Registration" so they were not considered. I only list albums I have heard.

Neil Young “Prairie Wind” (Reprise) – Rock’s most consistently-winning songwriter returns to the alt country territory of “Harvest” but with a lifetime of reflection to craft his first masterpiece of the ‘00s.

Sigur Ros “Takk” (Geffen) – As otherworldly as it is beautiful; this Icelandic outfit thankfully charts its own course and sounds glorious.

New Order “Waiting for the Sirens’ Call” (Warner Brothers) – Maybe because I heard this in the wake of the band’s Coachella appearance, but this set finds the band breaking new ground with its accessible and influential style.

Coldplay “X&Y” (Capitol) – The band’s strongest collection yet, highlighted by “Til Kingdom Come,” “Speed of Sound” and “What If.”

Embrace “Out of Nothing” (LAVA) – I’ve played this CD to death since its release earlier this year. Britpop with melodic and emotional depth.

Paul McCartney “Chaos and Creation in the Backyard” (Capitol) – Sir Paul crafted one of the most subtle and powerful albums of the year. Clearly his best work since the 1980s.

Aimee Mann “The Forgotten Arm” (Superego) – In an age of iPods and over-produced singles, 2005 found the onetime Til Tuesday singer releasing an intelligent and well-crafted concept album.

Doves “Some Cities” (Capitol) – Both symphonic and sparse, this album will continue to challenge and thrill listeners for many years to come.

The Magic Numbers “The Magic Numbers” (Capitol) – This genre-defying outfit comprised of two sets of siblings released the best debut of 2005. Magic indeed.

Gary Allan “Tough All Over” (MCA Nashville) – In the wake of the suicide death of his wife, songs such as “Best I Ever Had,” “I Just Got Back from Hell” and “Puttin’ Memories Away” convey a real world weight not heard in country music since Johnny Cash’s final recordings.

Honorable Mentions:

Franz Ferdinand “You Could Have It So Much Better” (Sony) – No sophomore slump here. The Scottish quartet unleashes an album worth of memorable material right for the times.

Ringo Starr “Choose Love” (Koch Records) – It’s easy to overlook Ringo’s contributions with the Beatles, or his dozen or so solo albums. Listen again; “Choose Love” boasts plenty of fun fireworks, specifically “Give Me Back the Beat” and Fab Four reminiscent “I Do.”

Glen Phillips “Winter Pays for Summer” (Lost Highway) – The third solo album from one-time Toad the Wet Sprocket frontman Glen Phillips, “Winter Pays for Summer” is also his best. Standouts include “Duck and Cover,” “Thankful” and “Don’t Need Anything.”

Moby “Hotel” (V2) – Until a few weeks ago, I was still thinking of placing this album in my Top 10, primarily because of the strength of two amazing tracks on the release, “Raining Again” and “Slipping Away.” A very strong album.

Hootie & the Blowfish “Looking for Lucky” (Vanguard) – Anyone who has actually listened to this album won’t be surprised it appears here. Anchored by political-charged material such as “State Your Peace” and “The Killing Stone,” clearly Darius Rucker and company’s best recording since 1994’s “Cracked Rear View.”

Bruce Cockburn “Speechless” (Rounder) – Although there are only three new works on this instrumentals-only collection, the strength of hearing Bruce Cockburn’s virtuoso guitar work shine is worth running out and grabbing this album. Cockburn, a hero in his native Canada, is a master at blues, jazz and country styles and works that defy categorization. Just listen to “The End of All Rivers.”

The John Butler Trio “Sunrise Over Sea” (Lava) – Jam rock, Americana, blues and more are minded by Australia’s John Butler Trio across this wonderful album. Great tunes to listen to on a long drive.

Various Artists/Soundtrack “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” (Disney) – Although I’m indifferent to Alanis Morissette’s “Wunderkind” song, the three other songs and instrumental music composed by Harry Gregson-Williams on the soundtrack are so strong it more than makes up for that one misstep. Particularly strong are Tim Finn’s “Winter Light” and Lisbeth Scott’s “Where.”

Various Artists “Lowe Profile: A Tribute to Nick Lowe” (Brewery Records) – Truly a labor of love, “Lowe Profile: A Tribute to Nick Lowe” finds singer-songwriter Walter Clevenger not only having produced the two-disc collection and releasing it on his Costa Mesa label, but also contributing an energetic version of “There’s a Cloud in my Heart.”
More than two dozen of Lowe’s songs are reworked by leading power pop, alt country and roots rock artists selected from around the world, including a number of Clevenger’s Orange County-based contemporaries. The Glimmer Stars (“Rollers Show”), Sparkle*Jets U.K. (“When I Write the Book”) and Chris Gaffney (“Crying in my Sleep”) rank among the many high achieving artists on the superb tribute. Other highlights on the collection include Eric Ambel’s version of “12 Step Program (To Quit You Babe)” and Michael Carpenter’s “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?”

Various Artists/Soundtrack “Walk the Line” (Wind-Up) – Nothing but praise for the vocal performances by Joaquin Phoenix (as Johnny Cash) and Reese Witherspoon (playing June Carter). Sure their acting was wonderful in the film, but the musical performances are just as wonderful. And any chance to hear Cash’s wonderful songs in the spirit of the originals gets thumbs up from me, even if these reworkings inevitably fall short of the original masterworks.

No false Alarm; another fight worth noting

I read today that Alarm frontman Mike Peters has begun undergoing chemo treatments for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. My heartfelt hopes for Mike to beat this thing.

I first saw the Alarm when the band opened for U2 in the early 1980s and was very impressed. I saw them again when I worked at a headlining show they had at Cal State Fullerton, and I reviewed the revamped Alarm a few years ago at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana.

Peters never disappoints in concert and I wish him the best in his treatments and recovery!

Grammys silliness, remembering John Lennon

Okay, here we go again.

The Grammy Awards are all about popularity. Period. Today they announced the 48th Annual Grammy Awards Nominee list. The fact that anything credible in the pop and rock fields got on the list is really amazing.

How else to explain the following...

Aimee Mann's "The Forgotten Arm" was nominated in the Best Recording Package. But what about the amazing songs on the concept album? Ignored completely. I can think of a number of great songs off that disc that deserve to be in the Record Of The Year category. But what we get are the embarrassing likes of Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" and Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl."

In the Album of the Year category, if Mariah Carey wins for "The Emancipation of Mimi," they better allow some time. It took something like 20 people to produce, engineer and mix the thing. Gwen Stefani also needed a bit of help on "Love. Angel. Music. Baby"; there are at least 10 other names credited with creating that forgettable effort. It only took a handful (specifically producer Nigel Godrich) to complete Paul McCartney's amazing "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" in the same field.

In Category 4, Best New Artist, it's funny. Keane is there; didn't their debut come out in early 2004 here (and even sooner in England)? Grammy voters are often confused and can't read a calendar.

And why, oh why, didn't New Order's excellent "Waiting for the Sirens' Call" or Moby's strong "Hotel" (songs "Raining Again" and "Slipping Away" are epic) get nominated in the Best Electronic/Dance Album category? Those were two of the best albums of 2005, especially New Order's latest. That keeps finding its way back into my CD player.

Let me remind the Grammy voters of some other great albums they forgot to mention. Embrace's "Out of Nothing," Bruce Cockburn's "Speechless" (which had a trio of new instrumentals that could fit in somewhere I'm sure), singer-songwriter Glen Phillips' "Winter Pays for Summer" and Limbeck's "Let Me Come Home" (which could fit in any of a number of country, pop or rock fields).

Well, at least they didn't totally forget Neil Young's "Prairie Wind," U2's "How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" and Coldplay's "X&Y."

And on a more serious note, much has been written this week about John Lennon. It was 25 years ago today that he was murdered. I always try to put aside all of the endless controversy about his life, and legacy as seemingly directed by Yoko Ono and go back and enjoy his music. His songs remain a mirror into his soul, and often into our own. Whether it was his early gems such as "In My Life," "Help" and "Nowhere Man," or his later solo work, it holds up and still speaks to me. And his voice, it just conveyed an honesty increasingly rare in rock - especially when you look at the slim list of notable young rockers on the Grammy list today. Rob Thomas...are you kidding?

True, it doesn't seem like it has been 25 years since John Lennon was taken from us. It's a loss that hurts as much now as it did then. In his wonderful "God," Lennon confessed "I just believe in me." Truth be told, music lovers still believe too.

Rock Hall names inductees; excuse me while I yawn

With the exception of the Sex Pistols, I just can't work up any kind of excitement about the list of names going into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2006.

Miles Davis, jazz great. No connection to rock.

Black Sabbath, Blondie, Lynyrd Skynyrd...are you kidding me? Is this the best they can do. I have said it before, I'll say it today and again. Music put in the hall should have some lasting and artistic value. It should represent rock artists who craft original music that sounded great when it was recorded, and will have a lasting influence on listeners and other musicians. I really don't believe the work of Black Sabbath, Blondie and Lynyrd Skynyrd meets that test in the long run.

Artists are eligible to be inducted into the Rock Hall after at least 25 years have passed since their first record was released. Still no Hall & Oates, still no Gram Parsons, still no Cure. All those artists have been commercial successes, but also paved the way for others who came after.

But we get Blondie. You think she belongs alongside the Beatles and Buddy Holly? I didn't think so...with that kind of logic, I think we are doomed to see plenty of lightweight types join the ranks in the years to come.

Pay to Play? Think Green Day

There have been an untold number of critics who have fallen over each other in praise of Green Day's "American Idiot" seemingly for all of 2005 (the album was released in September 2004).

You would think the Green Day CD was so great that every radio music director in the land thought this was the best album since Nirvana's "Nevermind." And yet many of the year's best albums (including especially strong releases by Embrace, Neil Young, Aimee Mann, Bruce Springsteen and New Order) have sadly been largely ignored by commercial radio.

But after revelations today that Warner Music Group has had to pay up $5 million to settle a payola probe, we now know that Green Day, My Chemical Romance and even R.E.M. were among the bands who won airplay after the record company reportedly ponied up paid vacations, laptop computers, iPods and even Super Bowl tickets to get their music played over the airwaves. Sick, huh?

This isn't the first time New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has shined a legal spotlight on the problem. Earlier this year, Sony BMG had to pay out $10 million to the state of New York for using so-called payola to get Jennifer Lopez some air time.

Spitzer, according to media reports, is still setting out after Universal Music Group and EMI Group, as well as Clear Channel Communications and others. If only radio would focus on playing good music, not worrying about collecting "goods" for themselves.

I would love to think this legal victory in the fight against pay-to-play tactics would make a difference. Somehow, I don't think it will.

Depeche Mode still wields sonic might

On Saturday, Nov. 19, it was time to make the trek to San Diego's ipayOne Center to see Depeche Mode. I didn't know what to expect because I had been playing the band's latest disc, "Playing the Angel," for a few days before the show and honestly was mixed on the CD.

But Depeche Mode didn't disappoint, and neither did the material from their new disc. Leading off with "A Pain That I'm Used to" and leading into "blues-tinged "John the Revelator," the new material was wonderful and blended well with the electronica act's classic material drawn from its seminal '80s and '90s releases.

Lead singer Dave Gahan remains most of rock's most energetic frontmen, and would pace and incite the crowd while twirling and getting many in the crowd to scream. And armed with a setlist that included propulsive songs such as "Behind the Wheel," "Personal Jesus" (featuring Martin Gore delivering some distinctive guitar work), "Policy of Truth" and "Enjoy the Silence," the concert grew stronger over its two-hour length. And with the well-crafted encore - including "Everything Counts" and "Nver Let Me Down Again" - the audience seemed as if it could dance all night.

I would love to tell you what Andrew Fletcher was doing behind his sci-fi styled console, but I really couldn't tell you. Despite my great view of him (I was seated to the side and he was often the only one I could see on stage clearly), he adds little to the proceedings. That made it even more clear how talented Gahan and Gore are as Depeche Mode continues to amaze fans and challenge itself musically.

dada: yes, rock still matters

dada and the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano share a bond that is legendary among fans of the Los Angelesbased original rock outfit. Little did bassist-singer Joie Calio and guitarist-singer Michael Gurley know that when they took the stage for the first time together to open for Mary’s Danish at the legendary venue in 1991, that it was the beginning of something very special.

dada – completed several months later with the addition of drummer Phil Leavitt and which has never boasted any other lineup – has gone on to record some of the most original and powerful albums of the 1990s and ‘00s. And there have always been performances at the Coach House to reconnect with fans who love seeing Calio, Gurley and Leavitt deliver marathon-length shows that stretch long into the night. dada returns to headline at the Coach House on Saturday night, November 19th.

In addition to performing songs from the trio’s acclaimed debut "Puzzle" (including tracks such as “Dizz Knee Land,” “Dim” and “Dorina”), dada will likely be performing material from the trio’s latest full-length release. “How To Be Found,” released in March 2004, finds the band exploring the vast stretches of the rock universe with excellent songs such as “The Next Train Out Of My Mind,” “Nothing Like You” and the accessible “Any Day The Wind Blows.”

The band’s catalog also includes 2003’s “Live: Official Bootleg (Vol. 1),” released by Coach House Records. “There is no other show for us like the Coach House; it has all the emotions of being the first show,” Calio told me in a May 2004 phone interview. “We were never that big in California, but we’ve done really well at the Coach House. It’s a very good synergy between us as a band and the Coach House as a venue.”

Audiences catching dada this Saturday night will get to see something increasingly rare in modern rock; musicians who exhibit equal measures of skill as songwriters, experts on their instruments and singers capable of dazzling with harmonies that recall the magic of the Byrds, Badfinger and – yes – even the Beatles.

Songs such as “Ask the Dust,” “Feet to the Sun” and “Hollow Man” are among the great songs that dada frequently features in concert. dada, Boxcar and Thriving Ivory will perform at the Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, SJC, at 8 p.m. on Nov. 19. Admission is $17.50. Information: (949) 496-8930.

Paul McCartney concert is truly out of this world

Paul McCartney performing at the Arrowhead Pond of
Anaheim on April 12, 2005. Image credit: NASA

A night after performing a full-length 37-song set at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim on Nov. 11, 2005 that I unfortunately missed, Paul McCartney returned to perform an equally-ambitious show that stretched from 8:40 p.m. until 11:35 p.m. - that was just short of three hours! 

The reason McCartney's Saturday night show on Saturday, Nov. 12 stretched beyond its normal 2-1/2 hour length was out of this world. Really! Sir Paul announced early in the show that it was arranged with NASA for this evening's show to mark the first time that a live music event was being broadcast into space. 

True enough, the time came after he had already delivered 16 memorable songs. Via big screens, Sir Paul and the two astronauts on the International Space Station (flying by at 220 miles above Earth) were able to communicate and the sold-out crowd could view and cheer and be part of the historic event as well. Paul McCartney and his excellent band delivered a wonderful version of "English Tea" while NASA astronaut Bill McArthur and Russian Cosmonaut Valery Tokarev sipped some tea/coffee/some kind of liquid out of their squeeze packets. McCartney and company also performed "Good Day Sunshine," a perfect song to complete the task of waking the astronauts at the beginning of their day. McArthur got cheers from the crowd when he did a flip in space, and toward the end of the live feed, did a command flip performance when asked to do so by McCartney. 

McCarthur seemed especially thrilled that the Space Station residents were being treated to a show from the legendary performer. "That was simply magnificent," McArthur said, adding he considered McCartney an explorer too noting his creative contributions. The overall show was magical. Kicking off with "Magical Mystery Tour" and performing another three dozen tracks after that, the concert was equally a celebration of his unmatched catalog and the magic that greets his performances. There were the blistering rockers (notably "Live and Let Die" and "Helter Skelter" - oh joy!), the great new material from "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" ("Fine Line," "Jenny Wren," "Follow Me"), the Beatles gems ("Blackbird," "Yesterday," "Let It Be," "I Will," and many more) and underappreciated solo/Wings material ("Let Me Roll It," "Maybe I'm Amazed"). And this is McCartney's best band since the Fab Four. No question. 

Virtuoso lead guitarist Rusty Anderson, guitarist-bassist Brian Ray, animated drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and keyboardist Paul "Wix" Wickens all contribute vocals and energy that further enhances these shows (I caught the same lineup at the Pond in October 2002, and enjoyed the blend even more this past weekend). Indeed, Brian Ray nailed it when late in the show he stepped up to the mic and said, "This truly is the happiest place on Earth." 

I encourage anyone reading this who lives in Southern California to catch McCartney when he plays at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Nov. 29 or Nov. 30. I've caught McCartney a number of times stretching back to the mid-1970s when he fronted Wings. He truly keeps better and his shows have a kind of power and mystery that touches people of all ages. Even when he isn't being beamed into the heavens, McCartney is in a universe of his own.

Review by Robert Kinsler

Bruce Cockburn, Rusty Anderson: what's not to like?

Sorry about the extended delay in my posts. I truly have been busy and have actually not spent much time in front of my keyboard over the past week.

Where to start?
Last Friday, Nov. 4, I caught one of the best shows I've seen this year. Singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn appeared in a solo setting at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. No openers or fill, just the Canadian great impressing a near-capacity crowd from 8:18 p.m. until 10:40 p.m. (there was a break from 9 p.m. to 9:27 p.m.).

But the show couldn't have been stronger. Bruce performed 21 selections, featuring instrumentals off his latest CD "Speechless," but also performing great songs such as "Wondering Where the Lions Are," "If a Tree Falls," "Put It in Your Heart" and "Pacing the Cage" (one of the most beautiful and tender songs I've ever heard) off his 1996 album "The Charity of Night." But then, I love just about everything he has written and recorded.

Although best known for penning probing songs that often tackle a mix of political and religious themes, Cockburn is an amazing guitar player and displayed those skills across his rewarding set at the Coach House. Highlights included the newly-penned "Elegy" and blues-flavored "King Kong Goes to Tallahassee."

He closed the show with a powerful and distinctive new song, titled "Mystery," that I hope is included on his next studio disc. A great night.

Also, check out my Orange Pop column in the Orange County Register today. It is a feature story on Rusty Anderson, who plays guitar in Paul McCartney's band. He is also an amazing guitarist, and his latest album, "Undressing Underwater," will appeal to fans of virtuoso guitar playing and good songwriting.

Sheryl Crow, Gavin DeGraw at the Hollywood Bowl

Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow is one of the few artists to emerge in the first half of the 1990s who has continued to craft new material well into this decade that is still greeted with widespread commercial airplay and welcomed by mainstream audiences eager to hear her latest project.
In a two-hour headlining show Sunday night, Oct. 23, 2005 at the Hollywood Bowl, the nine-time Grammy winner delivered a generous retrospective of her hits-filled career while also casting the spotlight on her latest disc, "Wildflower."
That album, released Sept. 27, is filled with confessional tales focusing on her well-publicized romance with cyclist Lance Armstrong and larger explorations of the world such as her stirring, anti-war "Where has All the Love Gone" and her probing "Letter to God."
Performing more than 20 of her own songs and a few reworked covers by Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan and Elton John, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter seemed genuinely delighted to be performing at the fabled Hollywood Bowl, proclaiming during her encore, "It's so nice to come back and play in your back yard."
Backed by her four-member band and a large string section under the direction of David Campbell, Crow used the concert as a showcase for her skills as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who moved from guitar to bass to piano throughout the night.
The bad news for the enthusiastic audience was not Crow's choice of material or her performance, but rather the sound itself.
The band (drums, guitars, bass, keyboards) continuously drowned out the string section (which featured more than a dozen musicians), except in the quietest moments.
So while a countrified take on Dylan's "Mississippi" and her own "Strong Enough" were clearly enhanced by strings in the overall mix, they sounded muddled on straightforward rockers such as "If It Makes You Happy" and "My Favorite Mistake."
And, during many songs, such as the reworking of Stevens' "First Cut is the Deepest," the additional musicians simply came off like window dressing.
However, there is no doubt that the majority of fans came to hear Crow deliver her collection of hits, and she did not disappoint.
Many in the audience sat politely through much of the concert, but became more animated and enthusiastic when she performed titles such as "All I Wanna Do," "A Change Will Do You Good" and "Soak Up the Sun."
Show opener Gavin DeGraw is clearly looking to position himself as an artist who can carve out a lasting career in the tradition of Crow.
His seven-song set, highlighted by material such as the emotive "Crush" and accessible "Chariot," pleased many in the crowd, especially when the young singer-keyboardist ventured into the audience.
While songs such as "Chemical Party" and his biggest hit, "I Don't Want to Be," were delivered with zest, his sonic approach clearly recalls artists such as Maroon 5, Train and Billy Joel, and time will tell if he is able to develop a sound he can truly call his own.