I'm very proud to announce my Rave's Raves web site and "Go Deep" webcast. Radio has been a passion of mine since I was in 6th grade, and it's the reason I got into the music business. While I continue to do similar shows at places like WSUM in Madison, I've been wanting to put my "Go Deep" concept on the air. I'll mostly play bands familiar to indie rock fans, but I'll play tracks they probably haven't heard unless they have the CD. Occasionally, I might spin a live version or a remix of a well-known tune. This will be a great tool for fans who want to become more familiar with newer bands that they're considering. My new website, www.ravesraves.com, provides links to the show as well as to this column. Thanks to my buddy Lee Lodyga for the "Go Deep" title, which makes us think of sex, sports, and rock and roll.
 

RAVE'S RAVES #33.1-- October 2008

RAVE'S FAVES (on the air since Rave’s Raves 33)

Lykke Li, Japanese Motors, Keane, Fleet Foxes(various), The Offspring(various), Of Montreal, The Pretenders, Snow Patrol

Songs are the singles unless otherwise noted.  Lykke Li is Swedish and has a nice retro sound to her.  Japanese Motors are from Southern California and have a garagevibe that is receiving play on stations like XMU and Indie 103.1.  Keane have hardened up in more of a new wave direction that works really well for them.  Fleet Foxes took awhile to grow on me but I’m now liking those Baroque-style harmonies.  Having always been a fan of The Offspring, it’s good to have them back and sounding fresh as ever.  Of Montreal can do little wrong in my book. The Pretenders single is up-tempo, fresh, and modern while Snow Patrol are always consistent.

LIVE

The Fratellis headlined at a quiet Wiltern Theatre.  They were powerful as usual but I don't think singer John will ever engage the crowd if he isn't doing it by now.  The fans in front undoubtedly know both albums but it's interesting that outside of second album single “Mistress Mabel”, they reacted far more strongly to lesser known cuts from the first album.  Their second album did show musical growth, but once again we see that if the music isn't as much fun, people don't respond as well live or in terms of CD sales.  I’m getting word that they are no longer as relevant in the UK either, and this band deserves better.  The Airborne Toxic Event also played.  This fine band are more effective in smaller settings from what I’ve seen.  Their “Sometime Around Midnight” single is a highlight although not many of their songs are on that level.  Liam Finn did a nice job of duplicating his album at the Echoplex, especially considering that he plays most of the music himself.  His down to earth persona comes through nicely.  Does It Offend You Yeah play well and are extremely intense.  They rocked a sold-out Troubadour.  CSS continue to put on a fun show, although the weaker material from their second album brought their Mayan Theatre gig down just a bit.  Tilly and the Wall played as well and are a fun band that shows promise.  Speaking of intense, The Hives and Eagles of Death Metal shared a bill at the Mayan.  The Hives continue to upgrade, and are another band that deserve to be bigger than they are.  The Eagles play great but their best material so far was on their initial release.  One of the UK’s most promising emerging bands is The Rumble Strips.  I saw them at Spaceland and also at Der Rathskeller at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  Their ska-flavored horn parts invite comparisons to bands like The Specials and Dexy’s Midnight Runners.  Singer Charlie Waller has a fine voice and this band has a very natural, musical feel to them.  Mark Ronson will be producing their next album.  We interviewed Charlie following the Madison show, and it’s on my site both as a stand-alone feature and within my co-hosted Britrock show on WSUM.  Fujiya and Miyagi are definitely the unassuming electro guys next door.  They put on a likable, competent show at the Troubadour that fans of the band loved.  I’m not sure their live show is on a scale yet, where they can add new fans.

…and…

Thanks to Matt Hunziker of WSUM for the opportunity to co-host his “Parklife” Britrock show on WSUM.  Matt’s show is at 1PM Eastern time Sundays and 6PM GMT for Anglophiles who enjoy a fine blend of the old and new.  The station can now be found on iTunes as well…Spring Awakening is a nationally-touring musical that won a number of Tony Awards on Broadway. It's a well-done teen coming of age story with a a modern rock soundtrack. I recommend it if it comes to your city...I’ll be back at the December with the year’s final edition, which will include my fave lists for the year.  What are some of yours?  I’d love to hear from you and I answer all emails.  Enjoy the holiday season, and until next time…

RAVE ON!!

RAVE'S RAVES #33-- August, 2008

RAVE’S FAVES(on the air)

Shiny Toy Guns, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party(“Mercury”), Black Kids, Ting Tings(various), Does It Offend You, Yeah?(“Dawn”), Fujiya and Miyagi, Airborne Toxic Event, Coldplay, Weezer(“Troublemaker”), The Faint. 

Shiny Toy Guns displayed potential last time, and their “Ricochet” single rocks harder than anything they’ve recorded to date.  It has been top five requested at LA’s KROQ.  Bloc Party’s latest song continues their adoption of a greater dance vibe to their indie rock.  Their latest album is now available through their website, and will be in stores a few weeks down the road.  Black Kids are the most heavily blogged group since Vampire Weekend.  They’re good and are great fun, but I don’t know if this album is all that memorable.  The Ting Tings’ album is so consistent that we’ll probably be enjoying them for the rest of the year.  Both of these bands deep deeply into the 80’s, yet sound very modern.  DIOYY’s “Dawn of the Dead also has a strong 80’s feel.  The first single from Fujiya and Miyagi’s second album sounds promising for their follow-up prospects.  LA’s Airborne Toxic Event have a hot single in “Sometime Around Midnight” and also a hot live show.  The Faint’s latest is restrained compared to their earlier efforts, but I like the “Geeks” single, and some of the other tracks are growing on me.    

“GO DEEP” WINNERS

Some bands getting strong reaction on my ”Go Deep” webcasts, who aren’t getting as much other airplay as deserved, include Elbow, Skybombers, and The Fratellis.  I also got a strong reaction to Liam Finn’s “I’ll be Lightening.”  Liam and I were seatmates on the flight to SXSW 2007 and I found him to be a very friendly, down to earth guy. 

LIVE

The Virgins are a recently released buzz band who reportedly were signed virtually sight-unseen by Atlantic, based on their demo.  They played at Spaceland here in LA.  While their music is interesting, the live show still needs work.  Two nights later, The Subways filled The Troubadour with one of my favorite shows of the year.  They’re rocking even harder this time around both live and on disc.  Their follow-up is now available digitally with a full release coming in September.  An 80’s package hit the Gibson Amphitheatre.  Belinda Carlisle had ‘em up and dancing with a solid show.  The Human League followed with power and with very modern production values.  Singer Phil Oakey is far more mobile onstage than he used to be.  Many of their songs aren’t as danceable, but it was a good idea having Belinda on before them.  The following night saw Steve Miller come very close to selling-out the Nokia Theatre.  His show was exactly what you’d expect, with a great band and lots of familiar tunes.  Steve has recorded something like 41 blues covers, and some might see light of day in the near future.  Fans of The Faint filled the Henry Fonda for two nights.  They got people really excited, but I felt more lukewarm about them.  While the band have some great songs and play well, I feel other bands in the genre are more compelling live.  The Knack played an outdoor show in Woodland Hills.  They continue to excel and they continue to sound about half their actual ages.         

80’S COLLEAGUES

Speaking of The Knack, guitar player Berton Averre has always been one of the most underrated axemen in rock.  He’s one the cleanest players I know, and it of course was Berton who came up with that “My Sharona” riff, not to mention many other creative gems on The Knack’s albums.  He has scored a promising new musical called “Vrooom.”  It’s a “speedway musical” set in the 60’s, and the uber-creative Berton has outdone himself.  Good luck to him as well as his creative partners.  Kerrang released an Iron Maiden tribute CD with their July 16 issue.  Metallica contributed a cover of Maiden’s “Remember Tomorrow” from the latter’s debut album; and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich told Kerrang that Iron Maiden are “the blueprint for everything we have ever wanted to do.”       

…and…

If you happen to have Sirius Satellite Radio in your car and are driving late at night, the music mix on their indie rock Left of Center channel 26 seems to fit perfectly with that hour.  If you are a fan of Pandora, you may have heard that their survival is in question.  This is due to a congressional ruling that allows webcasters to be charged anywhere from 70%-300% of their revenues to play recorded music.  Lost in this decision is the fact that the Internet is such an essential vehicle for the exposure of new music and emerging artists.  The sad part is that labels mostly care about shorter-term revenues while legislators are going to pay attention to the few big name recording artists who are lobbying them in favor of broadcast royalties…What are you listening to these days?  I answer everybody and your feedback is always welcome.  I’ll be back to you in late October, just in time for Halloween.  Have a great couple of months and remember to

RAVE ON!!!

RAVE'S RAVES #32.1-- JUNE, 2008

RAVE’S FAVES(on the air since early May)

Elbow, Fratellis, Cut Copy, Scars on Broadway, Katy Perry, Black Kids, Pigeon Detectives, Young Knives.

Elbow’s last album “Leaders Of the Free World” got the strongest reaction during my two-plus years of “Go Deep” broadcasts.  This effort is just about as good.  See live review below.  The sophomore Fratellis disc is also highly worthy.  It is a bit less fun and spontaneous, but shows musical growth and contains several strong songs.  Cut Copy still don’t capture their live energy in the studio, but there are a number of stellar tracks.  Scars on Broadway have an appealing, harder mainstream alternative/active rock song, while Black Kids, Pigeon Detectives, and Young Knives are energetic UK bands gaining some stateside exposure.   

LIVE

What new can be said about Iron Maiden?  They continue to do everything with consistency, quality and integrity.  The current tour’s set is mostly from their 1985 show.  In LA alone, three shows this year have drawn 42,000 including two sold-out shows at the Verizon Amphitheater.  .  Many of their European gigs draw that many in one night.  Their DVD’s are high quality, and their merch lines continue to be longer than the beer lines.  Elbow sold out the Avalon and delivered another winner.  Singer Guy Garvey will never be confused with Bono, but he’s fully in control up there.  The sound of this show was as clean as I’ve heard in a long time.  Ladytron played a solid show at the Henry Fonda but Datarock set didn’t work as well as it did at Coachella.  Datarock effectively moves between genres on their album but the songs tend to have the same approach live.  Rock Steady Freddy’s vocals were too loud, which didn’t help as it seemed he couldn’t hear his monitors.  Beirut brought an 8-psiece mini-orchestra to the enthusiastic Wiltern crowd.  Leader  Zach Condon is a real talent and this was a fine show, although a little lower-key than I would have liked.  The Brunettes from New Zealand also played.  They’re fun but can use some seasoning.  The Sweet have been put back together by bass player Steve Priest.    Their third show was at the Canyon Club, and indications are that their summer shows will go quite well.  The set is loaded with their iconic tunes, and games like Guitar Hero support the timing of their return.

…and…

As Chrysler announces that 2009 cars will feature an onboard broadband option, the long-term prospects for internet radio look better and better.  I don’t know many radio people who are extolling the virtues of HD, even though they’ll be better off if it takes hold.  The advice I’m hearing is that people shouldn’t be paying hundreds of dollars for HD in the new cars…I’ll be back to you in late August.  Please check out our Go Deep playlists and the shows themselves.  Let me hear from you in the meantime.  I answer all emails so please make sure you put “raves” in the subject line.  Have a good couple of months, and always remember to

RAVE ON!!

RAVE'S RAVES #32 -- MAY, 2008

RAVE’S FAVES(on the air in the US)

Skybombers(various), Nine Inch Nails, Hot Chip(various), Flogging Molly, Switches, Vampire Weekend(various), MGMT(various), Death Cab, Ting Tings(various), Black Keys, Coconut Records, Last Shadow Puppets(various).

Rave’s Faves are always singles unless otherwise noted.  I’ve mentioned Skybombers before and their full-length is finally dropping in May.  They play an intense, punk-influenced brand of rock with melody, and airplay is beginning to spread.  They’re a top live band as well.  See their Musexpo mention below.  There is nothing shocking in the NIN track, but it’s right in their sweet spot.  Coconut Records is actually Jason Schwartzman.  The Last Shadow Puppets are the collaboration between the Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner and The Rascals’ Miles Kane.  They’re heavy on strings and romantic lyrics, but what I’ve heard so far tells me they actually pulled this off in a very cool way. 

COACHELLA

Prince reportedly received $4.8M for his Coachella appearance.  I don’t know if he was worth that much, but there’s no doubt he gave the crowd their money’s worth.  Morris Day and band percussionist Shiela E. sang their 80's hits, Prince attacked many of his own, and the band found plenty of time to jam as well.  He was amped from the very beginning and had no problem exceeding curfew.  The true festival highlight for many of us was Kraftwerk.  The electronic godfathers were nothing short of phenomenal with a precise set, perfect sound, and brilliant videos covering their greatest hits.  Their shows have actually become warm over the decades.  While Prince was a must-see who came through, the Kraftwerk crowd had the sense they were witnessing something truly special.  Love and Rockets have resurrected themselves in mid-season form.  The Verve set was a success with Richard Ashcroft in fine voice.  Two favorite first-night moments came from individual song performances, with The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" before a huge, cheering crowd under the clear desert skies; and also The Swell Seasons' Glenn and Marketa singing their beautiful "Falling Slowly", from their film "Once". Portishead are back together and seemed to please their fans, although they're not my cup of tea.  

No bands had a career-defining moment as we normally see once or twice at Coachella.  Hot Chip drew a huge, dancing crowd this time around.  It's been fun watching them grow over the past year, when their 2007 Coachella set basically put them on the US map.  The current Flogging Molly album has elevated them beyond St. Patrick's Day cult status to a band that actually gets played on the radio.  Their recent Leno appearance didn't come close to matching their live energy.  Crowd response would have been amazing, even if people hadn't been in the hot sun all day.  They came as close as anyone to having a breakout moment.  A surprise was the Greek gypsy-punk Gogol Bordello, whose late Sunday afternoon main stage set was a festival highlight. Zero 7's Sia proved her mettle as a solo performer with a surprising upbeat performance. Sia also did a great job of engaging the crowd.

Of other bands I hadn't seen before, Datarock were tops with a high-energy set that was almost aerobic, and they had the tent following their moves.  Buzz group Does It Offend You, Yeah? were quite good.  Architecture in Helsinki were joyously animated in their own way, and did pretty well with their outdoor crowd at the second stage.  Battles are very intense with their prog rock.  The Goldfrapp set may have been tops of the first day for people who like her new direction, although she fortunately did throw in some of her top dance tunes from prior albums.  I caught a few Islands songs and want to get more into this group.  Calvin Harris was fun, engaging, and competent.  VHS or Beta and the Cold War Kids both showed they can handle a main festival stage and I enjoyed Carbon Silicon(Mick Jones of the Clash and Tony James of Generation X).  Fans of The Raconteurs, Swell Season, Vampire Weekend, Stars, and Cut Copy were all happy.  In the case of Vampire and CC, they don't yet have the command to effectively reach people further away from the stage so get up close if you'll be seeing them this summer.  MGMT were highly-anticipated by a huge throng, but they didn't quite seize the opportunity with their softer down-tempo style.  Turning up the volume and reworking the set list would help.  The guys were able to hold the crowd and they are good live, but this could have been truly special.  Kate Nash has an album that is quite intense and musical, but it lacks something when played live.  Pendulum were strong in the drum and bass genre.  Stephen Malkmus also seemed to do well, although I didn't see much of his set.   

OTHER “NORMAL” SHOWS IN LA

Switches invaded LA’s Roxy for their CD release party on their drop date of March 18th.  As noted in my SXSW review, these guys are a compelling live band that should do quite well once radio catches up with the press these guys are receiving.  Vampire Weekend played two nights later, at LA’s sold-out El Rey.  The idea of Vampire’s ‘feeding’ off of their own crowd, worked big-time for the boys, as they were greatly improved over their SNL and Letterman appearances, as well as their SXSW gig that I saw.  Backlash or no backlash, I’m now convinced that these guys will be fine.  Metal band Black Tide stormed the sold-out Key Club in West Hollywood with their 80’s-influenced sound that sounds completely fresh in 2008.  Austin’s Ghostland Observatory were a huge disappointment for me.  They had so much live promise two years ago and they certainly drew far more people to the Henry Fonda this time around; but they have veered away somewhat from upbeat indie dance, and much of their show was a darkened drone.

'80s COLLEAGUES

During any given year, Iron Maiden leads the unofficial t-shirt derby at SXSW.  We all know that if someone wears a band shirt in Austin during that week, they’re sending a message on how they wish to be perceived.  Thomas Dolby is releasing a fine live CD/DVD, which is called “The Sole Inhabitant”.  All songs are from his past and I’m excited to hear his new music, which hopefully is coming soon.  Duran Duran, The Knack, and The Motels are all out touring in addition to Maiden’s extensive North American journey.  I’ve not been in touch with Kraftwerk since I worked with them.  They aren’t the kind of guys who hang around label people much, and I understand  they’re only seen when one of them rides his bike to the offices to deliver an album.  I have a late-70’s collector’s item t-shirt that reads “Kraftwerk have taken the perspiration out of drumming”.   

...and…

The Musexpo conference was another success, with 750 artists, managers, and label types from all over the world.  Showcase highlights for me included Skybombers(Australia), Scissors For Lefty(San Francisco), Miss Li(Sweden), Grand Avenue(Denmark), Justin Hawkins(Sweden), and Big Linda(UK).  A long-time biz icon was on hand and told Skybombers management he hasn’t been this excited about a new band in 30 years!  Congrats to A&R Worldwide heads Sat Bisla and Bob Bisla for putting on another fine event…My “Go Deep” webcast has passed the two year mark and my next WSUM “Raveathon” will be Thursday, May 22 from 1-8 Central time.  Various station DJ’s will play guest sets, and a couple of bands just might call in as well…That’ll do it until the next Rave’s Raves in late June.  Let me hear from you, and please put “Raves” in the subject line so I know who it’s from. 

RAVE ON!!!