Digging up old favorites

Last night was an amazing night of epic musical proportions at Plan 9 records in Roanoke, the one located at Grandin. I'm talking about The Sad Cobras, Hot Lava and The Bastards of Fate playing there last night.

Being a retired music promoter, I have booked The Sad Cobras and The Bastards of Fate countless times, they have always been favorites of mine. Although I haven't seen them in a while, they seem to have gotten exponentially better since the last time I have seen them play. Hot Lava, I've only really seen once at the XYZ Gallery in downtown Blacksburg and anyone who has ever been to shows there would probably agree with me about the space being cramped as hell. I mean, it's a great venue, but sometimes when the turnout is better than expected and the shows are promoted a lot, too many people end up showing up causing the space to be too congested for me to enjoy the bands. But I guess mainly being an art gallery, space isn't too big of an issue when an art show is going on, because people come in and leave after a while.

Anyway, back to the music. Due to horribly confusing directions (thanks to a certain map website), I ended up getting there a little late, thus missing the bulk of The Sad Cobras' set. Nonetheless, I'm sure it was excellent. I caught the last couple of songs, full of shoegazy goodness as always. They closed the set with "Bodycast", which is a dance song that ironically sings about not being able to dance because the character in the song is stuck in a bodycast. This song always makes me sad, because people like to dance and the character is unable to and that's just really sad. I was really hoping to catch my favorite song off of the new album, which is the album title track "No More Graves" but I guess I'll just have to wait until I see them play next. But I'm going to save my raves about their first full-length for another post, because there are just too many good things about it.

Next was Hot Lava, garage-pop band from Richmond. I was surprised that they were playing a free show, because they were touring. Their slogan "Virginia is for Lavas" fits them quite well, because Virginia is for Lavas of music who will drive from Richmond to play a free show without any concrete expectations of being reimbursed for gas expenses. I don't know if it was my lack of personal space at their last show in Blacksburg at the XYZ Gallery, but I was not really expecting a good set. Luckily, they proved me wrong and I danced the whole way through their set. Their songs echoed with happy feelings of lazy hot summer afternoons at playgrounds and 100% fruit juice popsicles. I was all smiles!

The last band was The Bastards of Fate; it had been moons since I have seen them perform and I had missed them so. I had high hopes for their set and the band did not let me down, which seems to be pretty typical of their performances. They kicked off of with a crowd pleasing favorite "Digging up Dinosaurs" during which their fans cheered. The song starts with a random sampling of a woman speaking a foreign language. I've seen them play many times, but I have still yet to figure out what the foreign phrase means. Knowing the band though, it's probably something really silly. Their songs are intensely multi-layered, I still have a hard time realizing the fact that frontman Doug Cheatwood used to perform the majority of these songs solo before he met the rest of the band around two years ago. The rest of the set was filled with perfect pop melodies like "Police 9000" and "No one Ever Died", with the exception of "Harlequin Fetus". Now, this song is usually performed at a very speedy tempo, but this was the first time I saw them perform it at a slower tempo. Bassist Jason Wells announced, "This is Harlequin Fetus, as performed by Neurosis" and it indeed sounded very sludge metal at times. The Bastards of Fate wrapped up the set with "The Sweet Touch", a catchy song which popular yo-yo champion Drew Tetz used for one of his videos.



The band was ready to pack up, but the crowd would not let them go without an encore. They seemed a bit skeptical, but finally gave in and performed one more song. Which is when we all had the opportunity to witness "Zero Hour" in all of its wonderful melodrama. The song always made me think of thriller movies with police chases and quite possibly some explosions with a super hero flying by, carrying children and pets.

If you missed this show, then you missed out on a great show. However, if you'd like to live vicariously through my experience, then I suggest you head over to each band's respective website and purchase their recordings. The Sad Cobras have an excellent new album out called No More Graves, Hot Lava released Lavalogy earlier this year on Bar/None Records and The Bastards of Fate have More Than A Dozen Songs, which is a collection of Doug's solo recordings from the past few years, available on iTunes and through their myspace. The Bastards of Fate are working on their first band release with no release date in mind, just yet. But I'm sure that all of their fans are sitting tight waiting for the day the new album is released.

Also, if you are looking to attend a show at Plan 9 at Grandin, make sure you make it out to tomorrow night's show. Boys Lie of the Magic Twig Community and Mommies (featuring members of the Disappearers Collective and Social studies) are playing.

Kissing the Beehive at Mount Zoomer

The new Wolf Parade album now out on the prowl. Despite its confusing album art, At Mount Zoomer (former titled Kissing the Beehive) is more straightforward rock from the Canadian quartet. There are definitely some callbacks to Apologies to the Queen Mary on a few of these tracks, but you definitely hear a lot of experimental side of Spencer Krug's Sunset Rubdown along with the more slower, laidback side of Dan Boeckner's Handsome Furs on this album. Highlights for me include Call It A Ritual (can be listened on their myspace) and the almost 11 minute album finisher Kissing the Beehive. I can't wait till July 24th when they stop by Dallas.

Here is their music video for I'll Believe in Anything off of Apologies; it's a great example of their whimsy and quirkiness.

More Video Flashbacks

I couldn't resist. I mean, being right in the middle of exams, do you seriously expect me to study? ...'nuff said.

The Church - Reptile
This song is catchy as hell. When I first listened to Starfish I had a hard time understanding how "Under the Milkyway" was their hit single from that album, while "Reptile" was so much better and had catchier hooks.



Echo and the Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar
My favorite Echo and the Bunnymen song off of Songs to Learn and Sing. This video might also be NSWF; even though it's only really a woman's suggestive tongue movements in the background, I think it might be borderline soft porn. Personally, it makes me a little uncomfortable. But well, you can decide for yourself and let me know.

Triple Power Video Flashback

It's been almost a month, I know. I'm sorry. In return, here's a triple dose of video flashbacks.

Concrete Blonde - God is a Bullet
Johnette Napolitano's voice makes this song, they're some of of the most powerful vocals I have heard. She also does a lot name dropping.



The Mission UK - Wasteland
I tried to find the extended version of this song, which starts out with a verse of poetry, but I couldn't find it. So here's the normal edit.



The Runaways - Cherry Bomb
One of the most "in-your-face" songs I've heard. Definitely pumps me up to go kick some ass.



In my opinion, these are three timeless songs. I love them so much, they're total power ballads. Seeing as I feel powerful enough to smash a brick wall with my fist whenever I hear them. But I've never really quite attempted smashing a brick wall with my fist and I don't recommend that you do either.

WUVT's 60th Anniversary Bash

You are cordially invited...

Don't give up on me

This just in...

New Kids on the Block are Reuniting. Why am I blogging about them? Because they are ridiculous and this is ironic.

BOSTON - They may be pushing 40, but the New Kids are returning to the block. The Boston boy band New Kids on the Block, which sold 70 million albums in the 1980s and early 1990s, has reunited and plans to release a new album and go on tour. The reunion comes 20 years after the release of the group's multi-platinum album, "Hanging Tough."

The fan response to this has been incredible," band member Donnie Wahlberg told the Boston Herald.

Wahlberg said he was convinced to get back together with his former bandmates — Joey McIntyre, brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood — when they decided to record new music. Wahlberg said he wrote 80 percent of the new material with McIntyre and Jordan Knight.

via yahoo music


God help us all.

The Arts need Fine Support

I might be young, but I've been involved with the Blacksburg music scene for quite some time now and I've seen some places and bands come and go. There is truly an air of general apathy about local arts in the area.

In a college town such as Blacksburg, Virginia Tech seems to be such a powerful factor on how the population in this town is affected. Virginia Tech is an engineering school, there is no doubt about that. The school is also listed among the top colleges in the country, so alumni should be able to get their hands on some pretty decent jobs.

As respected as a degree from Virginia Tech is, it's still lacking one very crucial element in my eyes; arts. Sure, we're required to take an arts appreciation class of some sort to fulfill our Area 6 requirement, but how many students can really say that they've been exposed to a sufficient amount of arts and culture? I mean, Virginia Tech is quite the respectable academic institute, but it's probably not best for students to depend on their one degree from this school to be well-rounded. Here's where extracurriculars come in.

I believe that an immense portion of this apathy about local music and arts is brought upon by the lack of general arts support in this town. Students and locals need to aim to change this by supporting the local arts. Go to music events, go to art exhibits. If you don't help revive the fine arts in Blacksburg, there will be no fine arts in Blacksburg.

The Woove is online!

Hey everyone, remember WUVT's old publication... The Woove? Well, I just wanted to let everyone know that it's back up and running and you should head over there and read some sweet articles! I'll be writing something for it soon. You can find this lovely publication here.

The Woove was Blacksburg original Arts & Culture magazine and I'm sure anyone who's been around this town long enough can tell you about it. So don't let any impostor arts and culture magazines fool you, The Woove was there first!

Also, one more thing...



Please show up to this show at 7:00pm or a little bit before 7:00pm! The show will seriously start at 7:00pm, people or no people. They're making us pay an arm and a leg for the venue so we can't overstay our welcome or we're screwed.

xoxo,

PP

Every show

For the past four or five years, I have tried to contribute what I could to the Blacksburg music scene. For a little while there, it seemed like it was dwindling and dying out. The old timers told me that it was a part of its regular cycle, it dies out to be resuscitated by someone who has a new sense of enthusiasm. Many of us in Blacksburg have fed and nourished this scene the best we could, only to see it grow bigger and bigger every month.

I remember a time where I was able to make every show because there were so few of them. I would try to give my support to every band. But it seems like this monster has grown big enough to support its own (sort of). The point is, I am mildly disappointed in myself for not being able to make every show like I used to, or used to try to. It seems that now there is a hefty amount of shows every week. Even *GASP* more than 2 per week.

While trying to build and balance my own life, I find it somewhat impossible to "make it to every show" ever again. Even though I'm a little disappointed in myself, I am somewhat overjoyed at the amount of shows this little town of ours is pouring out. Don't let that river ever stop, until it floods Blacksburg and there's music coming out of multiple venues per night. Even then, keep going.

January 11th Roanoke Fire Benefit

After a prelonged hiatus filled with holidays and an awesome new year's eve, SWVA is faced with quite the problem...

As I'm sure most of you in the SWVA area know already, a building that house practice spaces for many of our beloved Ronaoke bands. These bands lost most of their things and most of them are not allowed back into the building just yet to attempt to recover the rest of their belongings. The Fever to Sing arts collective would like to help, so we're throwing a benefit show at the YMCA Thriftstore next week on Friday, Jan 11th! So please come out and tell your friends to do the same!



So please do come out and support our beloved Roanoke bands in their time of need.

See you there.