My week in media: Jan. 9-15

It's already been one year since Jay Reatard died. That day fucked me up. His music moved me, and he had the trait that separates great musicians from the pack; he was prolific. I made a pact with J. Wilmes to see Jay each time he passed through town, and I saw him three times. Classic songs. There's "Screaming Hand." Jangly guitars open this bad mother, but then the chorus hits you with some flying-V noise and the poppiest chorus. But instead, I got a man with an empty beer bottle and a screaming hand. (Not on youtube- this is why I need a tumblr- nah fuckthatshit fuckthatshit, ya know the song anyway).

And then there's "Not a Substitute." Verse, chorus, verse, chorus, done. Seven words to the lyrics pack a big emotional punch.



PS - The new Smith Westerns record is hot hot, and I learned about them when they opened for Jay. Real shit, that is real.

Review: Jay Reatard - Blood Visions

Being back in school means I have a lot more time to waste in front of the computer screen, and the blogging inevitably follows. My newest installment is a review of a record that is two years old and everyone loves already.

Blood Visions by Jay Reatard is a cool punk album that grew on me. Not in the sense that it sucked at first and I had to love it to have more scenester credibility. No, I liked it immediately, but now it sounds even better.

Jay and co. were great at Pitchfork. You might have read about it a month ago. Everyone got wet for Fleet Foxes, and that’s fine, but I’d take Jay over them. It doesn’t make sense to compare the bands, so I won’t anymore. Jay Reatard plays garage punk, and blah, blah, I’m sure you know that there’s a pop element to these songs too. “If you listen close enough, you hear the Beach Boys.” Not true at all, and whoever says that is dumb, but go ahead and get this record if you like punk and Guided by Voices. My favorite songs are “My Shadow”, “Not a Substitute”, and “We Who Wait.”

Pitchfork Fest 2008 - Saturday

Pitchfork Fest 2008 came and went. It seemed like it would never arrive, and here I am writing a review of it. Summer sure does fly by.

Saturday morning was a rainy affair, but the weather pretty much cleared up by the time Jay Reatard took the stage for his 12:30 PM set. I was not too familiar with his music, but his set started off the day great. High-energy garage punk with few stops in between. I will probably retrieve his LP, Blood Visions and give that a spin. My big complaint is that the volume was too quiet for the big stage, and he would definitely benefit from playing in a small club. He reminded me of Bob Pollard in that he announced the name of the song he was about to play. I dig that, and I'll probably do the same for Random Candy.

We caught some of Caribou's set while waiting for Fleet Foxes, and wow, they sounded terrific. I wish I could have seen more.

Naturally, Fleet Foxes were next. The Chicago Tribune (and nearly every music publication) has been whacking off to them for a few months, and with good reason. Their record is really cool and different. Of course, all the reviews of their set in the next day's newspapers were super-positive. They sounded great, but the festival setting is totally wrong for them. They deserve to sell out Metro and warm some interiors. I was impressed that they quieted the crowd as much as they did, but that's partly due to the fact that the acoustic guitar was so fucking quiet.

It didn't take much for Andrew to coax me into watching part of Fuck Buttons' set. I was really impressed with this band. Noisy, loud, and with some melodic flair, the Fuck Buttons were right up my alley. I recommend seeing them and buying their newest LP. This was my great "surprise" set of the fest.

Vampire Weekend was awesome. I am in a different world from everyone that says their live show is underwhelming. They delivered. I had a great time, and so did my friends. Their new song is incredible, and they even gave "Blake's Got a New Face" a much-needed boost.

!!! - are they a joke band? Terrible.

The Hold Steady rocked really hard. They played a lot of new stuff, and I did NOT hear "Stuck Between Stations." I wish they had included it in the set. This band is well suited for all environments, including festivals. Craig Finn is hilarious.

We caught Jarvis Cocker's set as we waited for Animal Collective. What a snoozer! No Pulp, no care. Sorry.

Finally, Animal Collective took the stage as headliner. Wow. I am a believer in this band. They had the best set of the weekend. Bright, trance-inducing lights perfectly complimented their zany takes on old songs. And hell, they played "Comfy in Nautica" by Panda Bear. Their show was the kind of show that turns non-believers into believers, casual listeners into avid fans, and the rest into melted snow. They sucked all the life out of me, as a matter of fact. Hail AC!

Sunday review coming soon.