It’s tempting to compare vastly different eras of The Fall’s career to one another. After all, The Fall has been a going affair for front man Mark E. Smith for five decades now, with Ersatz G.B. being the latest in a long line of releases. So to make the comparison, the latest, 2012 incarnation of The Fall documented on Ersatz G.B. reminds me most of the relatively accessible mid-1980s version, especially the lineup that recorded the classic album The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall. Musically, the band flirts with a slightly poppier yet hard-edged sound, including an atypical “metal” number, driven by the steady rhythm section of Keiron Melling on drums and David Spurr on bass. What little of Smith’s garbled vocals I can make out involve his usual concerns – he’s been lamenting “the highest British attention to the wrong detail” since 1982’s Hex Enduction Hour. — Joel Hunt
How often do you get a chance to stand around in public listening to an EP that’s been commercially available all day?
Well, here’s your chance:
Multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Cheyenne Marie Mize, whose new EP We Don’t Need is out today, will be featured at a listening party in NuLu bistro Please & Thank You tonight from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. At 9 p.m., you will be asked to leave.
You can also read more about this release in tomorrow’s LEO Weekly.
No, they’re headlining – and helping to curate – the 10th anniversary Forecastle Festival.
The fest, which will be held from July 13 – 15, will feature a headlining set by MMJ on Saturday night, along with dozens of other acts to be announced soon. MMJ will also help plan late-night activities (including a night on the Belle of Louisville and an event at the Ice House), choose philanthropic partners and “MMJ will be collaborating with producers on the festival’s sights, sounds, experiences and special surprises that make Forecastle so unique,” festival organizers said in a press release.
MMJ leaders and local citizens Jim James and Patrick Hallahan joined Forecastle leader J.K. McKnight, Ashley Capps of Forecastle’s producing partner, AC Entertainment, and Mayor Greg Fischer – plus MC Kyle Meredith of WFPK and a guy dressed up like a ship’s captain out for a night at the Nachbar – to discuss the event.
photo by Sean Bailey for Louisville MUSICulture
Mayor Fischer began by saying that this was “a super exciting day for me,” mentioned his concert-promoting past, talked about how a creative community such as Louisville can only lead to more jobs by making it a great place to live for diverse, interesting people and then reasserted, “I, for one, am super excited.”
Capps, the founder of Bonnaroo, spoke generally about how awesome Louisville is, and Forecastle. Then McKnight spoke, discussing his vision for utilizing Frederick Law Olmstead’s parks and working for 10 years to produce a festival that would “give people a cathartic experience.” He said a defining goal he has is to be able to put “a big focus on the city of Louisville, and the brand of Louisville, Kentucky,” to showcase the city for an audience that will travel to the festival from all over the globe.
He acknowledged that one of the questions he’s been asked most has been when My Morning Jacket would play Forecastle, and how glad he was that everyone’s schedules finally aligned this year. The two sides began discussions last fall and, Louisville’s creative community being as tight-knit as it is, all was made easier because McKnight and the MMJ members have been friends with each other and each’s family members for years.
James, who walked up to the mic with a casual “Good to see ya” to his mayor, promised that the weekend would be “Christmas in July,” though no more ideas will be unveiled until more of the line-up is revealed within the next six weeks.
Limited specially-priced $100 tickets will go on sale this Friday, January 27, at noon EST. Tickets will soon go up to somewhere around $150.
The fest’s site says “Travel packages will also be available, including accommodations at The Galt House – the festival’s official, waterfront hotel. For those who wish to dock up for the weekend, VIP ‘Captain’s Club’ boat slips will also be available.” No camping will be allowed at the park. McKnight estimates that 40,000 will attend this year, up from 30,000 in 2010.
Mayor Fischer promised that Louisville can expect this to be “a major, international event.” More information is available at forecastlefest.com.
After two highly-acclaimed free albums, The Weeknd again shows he’s got brass ones by opening his latest with a cover of Michael ‘s “Dirty Diana” (“D.D.”). As any longtime Apollo viewer knows, there’s just some folks you don’t cover. Maybe Abel Tesfaye, under his nom de song The Weeknd, didn’t get “Showtime at the Apollo” in Canada. Nonetheless, Tesfaye shows no fear. The stark cover is equal parts Trent Reznor and Art of Noise as much as it’s MJ. Surely it doesn’t best the original, but damn if it isn’t good. Keep Trent in mind, for this and The Weeknd’s whole catalog. This is as close as we’ll ever get to seeing a Nine Inch Nails R&B record, and if the very idea doesn’t pique your interest, don’t even bother. For these ears, this is an exciting progression. — Damien McPherson
A press conference will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. EST to announce something big that will involve the Forecastle Festival and/or My Morning Jacket. The 10th anniversary festival will be held from July 13th-15th in Waterfront Park.
Stay tuned to this web log as the story develops.
The Zone: Stevie had it from ‘72-‘76, Marvin ‘71-‘78, Prince ‘83-‘87, the Stones ‘68-‘72. Let’s go ahead and include The Black Keys 2008-? Attack & Release came first, with Danger Mouse producing, bringing a subtle mix of weird sounds to the Keys’ garage. Brothers followed and blew everyone away, earning four Grammy nominations, and love from the spectrum of music fans. Here’s El Camino, another Danger Mouse production (coming off his excellent and underappreciated Rome LP), but minus the pings and pongs of Attack. The cartoon superhero, nee Brian Burton, is growing in to a damned good rock producer, learning from the school of Rubin, forgoing a signature style for bringing out the best in the players. Auerbach and Carney have found a comfort level with each other that seems effortless. When they play with new sounds, as in the acoustic half of “Little Black Submarines,” it borders on intimate. As that same song explodes two minutes in, the fuzz guitar slightly out of tune, an organ low in the mix, Carney getting his Bonham on, hands glowing like Bruce Leroy and Shonuff, you know that their time is now. — Damien McPherson
Ritmo Machine Welcome to the Ritmo Machine
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This is an unexpectedly great little record from Eric Bobo and Latin Bitman. Bobo should be a name somewhat familiar to you, as a touring member of both the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill, and the son of the legendary Willie Bobo. Ritmo Machine is a mostly instrumental record that is equal parts hip-hop and Afro-Latin, an easy to digest gumbo that plays great in the car, even if your foot gets a little heavy at times. Knowing it’s not exactly the highest of praise to say an album is a great soundtrack to clean your house to, sometimes it is what it is, and by the end of the disc’s running time, like Lennie, you’ve somehow slain all the (dust) rabbits without realizing what you’ve done. Features from Chali 2na, Money Mark, and Sen-Dog all add texture without taking the focus away from the rhythm. — Damien McPherson
After approximately two decades, the Seelbach Hotel has decided to end their weekend evenings of live jazz music, as led by vibraphonist Dick Sisto. The weekend was often chosen by LEO Weekly readers as “the best place to hear live jazz” in our readers’ choice poll.
Sisto, long accompanied by bassist Tyrone Wheeler and drummer Jason Tiemann, was notified about this decision by hotel management. Sisto said, “Their rational, illogical as it may sound, is to cut expenses and show greater profits.”
During his years as music director, Sisto welcomed many special guest performers. A partial list includes names like Pat Labarbera, David Liebman, Joe Morello, Joe Labarbera, Kevin Mahagony, Bobby Shew, Kenny Werner, Dave Samuels, Rich Perry, Andy Laverne, Don Braden, David Hazeltine, Walt Weiskoff, Scott Wendholt, Lynne Arrialle, Steve Davis and many others.
Friday, Jan. 27 and Saturday, Jan. 28 will be the last weekend for the free performances. Sisto, who also hosts Sunday jazz radio programs on
WFPK, 91.9 FM, notes, “There may be an occasional appearance in the future.”
Sisto also notes that 2011 was “one of the best years for business at the Seelbach.”
Drummer Tiemann said, “I believe that it is a heartbreaking tragedy to the arts scene in Louisville, as there are very few places to hear real live jazz in the entire region.”
Tiemann can still be seen Wednesday nights with Jacob Duncan and others at the Nachbar, free at 10 p.m.
Artists today have to be deferential to struggles they should be leading, so as to not piss off a potential fan or tastemaker. Childish Gambino references Pitchfork’s penchant for gangsta rap and receives their harshest review since Jet. Most expected Gambino’s in-store debut to be as funny as his free releases or his acting gigs. Instead, Donald Glover serves up one of the most poignant (and listenable) treatises on race in recent times: specifically, the arbitrary definition of the “Black Experience” in 2012. That critics don’t accept Glover’s rapping as ‘authentic’ reeks of the very racism he spends half the album denouncing. That people dislike the record because it’s not the same awkward funny of his other outlets is lazy. Musically, he’s very much of this generation: the production is Kanye-epic (if not Kanye-quality) and his punchlines include some of the best writing of the year. Camp deserves an audience, and a place in the conversation. — Damien McPherson
The Black Belles’ self-titled debut album is an impressive work of narratives told through heavy guitar, prominent percussion, creepy keyboard, and vocals that range from a sexy whisper to a scream. The group’s genre has been described as garage-goth, and the album reflects that description, but at times the songs also tap into a bit of ‘60s surfer rock that creates a strange sense of innocence and nostalgia in the midst of the band’s dark persona. The themes of the album include revenge, rage, abandonment, despair and betrayal, yet the high energy of the songs gives them an upbeat impact. In fact, sometimes the Black Belles simply rock out hard. Also, although the album tends to be minimalist and has the rough edge you’d expect in a garage band, the arrangement does a lot with a little and creates complexity and richness in its sound. The cohesion and dynamic of the group highlight the strengths of each musician evenly while also producing a unique whole that feels natural and organic. The powerful guitar and aggressive percussion weave around the dramatic vocals and what is often an eerie keyboard that seems the most goth of all. The album itself is also cohesive, but each song differs enough to keep the progression of the record interesting and varied. Overall, the album is a little twisted and scary but also a lot of fun — more like watching a good horror movie than reading a serial killers’ diary. — Lauren Titus
