Coachella - The Undercard

In this series, we get to know a few of the small font bands at Coachella this year.

The Sheepdogs
Some of you may remember Rolling Stone did a contest last summer where fans could vote to put an indie band on the cover -- well, the Sheepdogs won that contest.  Classic rock revival band from Canada, have a sound somewhere between the Guess Who and the Allman Bros (with just a hint of Bob Weir).  Love it.



Other Lives
Melodic indie rock out of Oklahoma, been around for a few years, supported Bon Iver for a few shows on the last tour.  Kind of a distant, sweeping sound -- almost reminds me of the moody blues at times?  (in the good way)



Wild Beasts
Cool name.  Apparently have a bigger following in the UK.  Hard to say why these guys don't annoy me, but they don't.  The songs can be hypnotic, complex at times, good replay value.  Voices sound a little goofy, but I respect the range.




More to come...

Watch the leather, man...

The sophomore trump

One of the more highly anticipated albums of 2012 for the PFOS crew is Miike Snow's second album, set to drop in March.  A few singles are already making the rounds -- e.g., Black Tin Box (the best so far). 

But it's tough to follow up a strong debut.  The sophomore slump, aka MGMTing, is well documented.  It's probably not fair -- maybe the second album isn't all that bad, but just can't meet impossible expectations (a la Foster the People in 2014).  I fear this may happen here to our friends from Sweden.  They'd need to write a song that cures cancer and puts a $5 bill in my pocket every listen if they wanted to top Cult Logic, and that's a high bar. 

They'd also be in rare company if they pulled it off.  Which bands -- in the last 20 years let's say -- have actually met (or exceeded) high expectations with their follow up?  It needs to be a strong debut -- Nirvana doesn't count because no one knew about Bleach until MTV started playing Teen Spirit two dozen times a day.  (Disclaimer:  I was 7 years old.  Maybe *some* people knew about Bleach.)

Not everyone, but here's a few:

Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape (1997) 
When Grohl started his side project in 94, he wasn't going to catch anyone off guard.  Foo Fighters went platinum six months after its release.  But it was his follow up album in 97 that established the band with its own legacy-in-waiting, as more than a re-hashed Nirvana.  It's still the band's biggest seller, with (probably) the band's best known song.

Kanye West - Late Registration (2005)
Some might call this a stretch, because College Dropout was big -- it debuted #2 on the US charts, has a few of his most well-known singles, Rolling Stone ranked it the #10 album of the 2000s (who gives a shit, I know).  But Late Registration was just as big -- it debuted #1, went platinum in two weeks, has his most popular single to date.  More importantly though, it cemented this guy as a hip hop icon.  Other rappers had shined real bright in a debut only to fade after (e.g., Warren G), but this album proved Kanye wasn't going to be one of them.  In the words of Rob Sheffield (who gives a shit, I know), "Late Registration is so expansive it makes the debut sound like a rough draft."  By not dropping off even a little bit, Kanye trumped his debut.

Adele - 21 (2011)
Probably the only one here that's beyond reasonable debate.  Maybe some purists out there prefer her first album, but I doubt anyone thinks it was a greater overall achievement.  19 was generally successful and well received by critics, but 21 made Adele a household name and feels like one of those pop-ish albums that will still be relevant in 15 or 20 years.  And just like with the Foo Fighters and Kanye, her second album leaves the impression she still has a lot more to come.

A few others:

Pearl Jam - Vs. -- most people I know prefer Ten, but Vs. solidified the band as a rock powerhouse.

Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory? -- maybe not for the snobs, but definitely for the world's karaoke bars.
Dave Matthews Band - Crash -- seven million people can't be wrong.

Daft Punk - Discovery -- tastes will differ, but hard to say this didn't at least meet high expectations.

Bon Iver - Bon Iver / Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues -- definitely for the snobs, not so much for the world's karaoke bars. 

I hope, for the world's sake, Miike can follow in this tradition.  One more for the road:

2011: A Retrospective

A year in music is impossible to label, the sheer volume of material does not lend itself to a neat and tidy summary. One's personal musical experience throughout a year however, can be a known quantity.  In light of this, I'd have to say that, for me, 2011 was the year of the female solo artist.  Here's why (some of these are blog repeats):



Lykke Li has been making waves in the states for a while now, but she's only just begun to get the recognition she deserves.



Feist is well known for her song 1,2,3,4 after it was featured in an Apple ad. While it may have dented her indy cred, it certainly didn't stop her from writing great music.




While this song from Mountain Man was released in '09, they spent 2011 touring with Feist as her backing vocals, and they've got some of the best harmonies I've ever heard.



St. Vincent is a former member of The Polyphonic Spree (whom I strongly recommend).  This year saw the release of her most successful album to date.




I don't know much about Rachel Yamagata; I just think this song is catchy.  Hey man, I don't get paid for this, google it yourself.




Ok, shit's about to get real.  I can't stop listening to this song.  If you don't at least nod your head, there's something wrong with you.  Also, if you don't do a double take at some of the lyrics, you aren't paying attention.  She's got one of the most unusual deliveries I've ever heard.  It's worth mentioning that I don't know shit about rap (if that's the bin this would go in).



It's gotten a lot of coverage, and Lana Del Rey has been taking flack for her image, but the bottom line is that this is a great song with a lot of soul.
There are a few more that come to mind, but to be honest I'd be surprised if anyone made it through all of these. Am I right guys? Guys??

Dramatic, Asiatic & Not Like Many...

Hip hop at its finest.  I watched a hipster lose her shit this morning at a restaurant when this song came on, but you can't deny the power of Big Daddy Kane. 

What is a Rock Star?

The Prig talks about "being a rock star" a lot. But what does that really mean? Quite simply, it means you are giving the public something it yearns for (outside of the music). It's why Badfinger never hit the big time even though Paul McCartney wrote songs for them. It is why Pearl Jam helped define a scene and Mudhoney stayed relatively unknown. It's why people actually think Jim Morrison had talent.

Rock Stardom is a fickle but powerful thing.

But what makes a rock star? Here is a short list of qualifications that I look for. Kindly apply these metrics when you are listening / watching your new favorite indie buzz band and judge (harshly) accordingly.

1) The Look. First and foremost, the band / lead has to have "The Look." There are many forms of the Look: really good looking (Mick Jagger, Blondie), weird looking (Robert Smith, Siouxsie Sioux), bad looking (Iggy Pop, Peaches), ridiculous looking (George Clinton), insane looking (Axl Rose). Whatever it is, it has got to have something. Liam Gallagher's hair spawned like a hundred (albeit mostly shitty) bands - the power of the The Look is undeniable. Without the look, you probably won't last.

Taking your band picture with the Hipstamatic app on your iphone probably won't work.

2) Drugs. Doesn't always apply (see Ian MacKaye), but usually is part of it. Heroin can make and break a band. Drugs can be the difference between this:



and this:



Need I say more?

3) Creativity of Origin. You don't need to be the first mover, but you need to be a creative driver in a scene. The Beatles creating Britpop out of working class Liverpool. R.E.M. out of the indie rock scene of Athens, Georgia. Pearl Jam and Nirvana out of Seattle grunge. The Jam out of the Mod scene. Even Ariel Pink has a story - the guy was a shut who made 500 songs in his house before people took notice.

You're a middle class kid making "beats" on your Mac? Sorry man, not going to work for me.

4) Having Something to Say. The lyrics / music have to resonate with a mass of people. Being a small mass (30 Seconds to Mars) or a large one (Lady Gaga) - having something to say goes a long way to making a rock star.

The National seem to make girls wet just by singing about watching TV. I don't get it, but obviously they're saying something.

5) Swagger. Tough to measure, but absolutely necessary. In a room full of bands, is your band the coolest? It should be. Even to the point of idiocy, I need my rock star to believe that his / her band is the center of the universe. I need my rock star to believe his concert is the highlight of the listener's year.

Without swagger - could we ever have had this?!

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All aspiring Rock Stars, please see the above and act accordingly. The Prig doesn't make the rules, he just recognizes them and acts accordingly. So should you.