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Southwest
Sounds
As a musician and audio engineer at Tucson's Wavelab studio, Nick Luca had ample opportunity to befriend some of the area's greatest musicians. Musicians like Giant Sand's Howe Gelb, Joe Burns and John Convertino became friends and frequent collaborators of Luca's. When Giant Sand played Sam Bond's in 2000, Luca was on stage. This time, Luca is taking the stage on Monday, Aug. 16 with his own band, The Nick Luca Trio, along with drummer Jim Kober and bassist Chris Giambelluca. He told me more about the band in a recent phone conversation from Tucson, where he is preparing to hit the road on tour. The musical aesthetic of Giant Sand and Low rubbed off on Luca, who had become frustrated with trying to fit into rock and jazz music's pigeonholes, and he was searching for something more substantial when he wrote the tunes on Little Town. In 2001 he gathered musicians and brought them into the studio after only three weeks together, so it has an "off the cuff vibe to it, very relaxed," Luca says. "We just played the songs as if it was a practice, and kept it mess ups and all." The songs on Little Town were written the summer before 9/11, and reflect a growing sense of dread at the state of the world. "I remember that summer thinking the world is a mess. It seemed like the world was getting more and more materialistic and getting awful. I began writing the songs thinking, man, I got to do something different." A friendship with Alan Sparhawk of Low spurred Luca further toward developing a more introspective approach. "I learned a lot from him. That was a definite influence," explains Luca. Drawing inspiration from fantastic bands Low, Giant Sand, Calexico and Friends of Dean Martinez, Luca's Little Town is a listening pleasure. Like the music of many bands from the desert, it is imbued with a feeling of open space. "Definitely living in the desert you're constantly bombarded by space. And I think with the slower pace of life, you're willing to just let a note ring for a long time." Lyrically, Little Town gives us glimpses of life: a deserted street at night, an unexpected phone call, unfulfilled dreams and heartbreak. "To me, Little Town is like Tucson at four in the morning," says Luca. It's a dreamy landscape of country, folk and psychedelic pop and yet another strong branch of the Arizona musical family tree. In "Psychedelic Haze" he expresses the despair he felt that pre-9/11 summer: "I see a mountain crumble into sand/ evil-lution spread across the land." While Little Town is just reaching our ears for the first time, Luca and bandmates have had three years to think about it. "To us, Little Town is pretty old. It was recorded in 2001. We've already recorded three more albums. That's what happens when you work in a recording studio!" he says with a laugh. The next record will be released in September, with another to follow in January, the fourth will come out the following summer. With his work already done, Luca is looking forward to months of touring to support his efforts.
John Henry's welcomes to town punk legends The Dickies on Friday, Aug. 13. L.A.'s first punk rock band to score a major label deal have lived the life that only the first wave of punkers know and understand. For more than 20 years they have made instantly recognizable, zany tunes from their debut Incredible Shrinking Dickies to their latest full length, All This And Puppet Stew, released on Fat Wreck Chords. With a sound as big and maniacal as ever, The Dickies live will be a show not to miss. The Dickies are lead vocalist and keyboardist Leonard Graves Phillips, drummer Travis Johnson, bass and vocalist Rick Dasher, guitarist Stan Lee and guitarist Little Dave Teague. Warming up the crowd will be Eugene's Millhouse, PB Army and The Anxieties. The one and only Neville Brothers will be appearing in Eugene on Saturday, Aug. 14 as the second in a series of outdoor concerts on downtown's Broadway Plaza. The shows taking place at the intersection of Broadway and Willamette are hosted by the McDonald Theater. A beer garden will be set up, as well a food booths and a video feed. The shows are all ages and are a great opportunity to go discover what downtown has to offer while enjoying the warm days of summer, listening to cool music, and mingling with your neighbors. The Neville Brothers — Aaron, Art, Charles and Cyril — move with the funky, soulful and bluesy beat of their hometown of New Orleans. In the mid-'60s Art formed a group called Art Neville and the Neville Sounds, which would later become the Meters. Silken-voiced Aaron also enjoyed a career outside the brotherly fold. Over two decades the Neville Brothers have built a career on the varied music of folk, blues and funk traditions. Songs like their versions of "Hey Pocky Way," Jimmy Cliff's "Sitting in Limbo," "Brother John/Iko Iko" and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" still satisfy. Also on Friday Oregon's traveling troubadour Brian Cutean, aka QTN, will hold a CD release party at Cozmic Pizza. His fifth CD, Hearthearthearth shows Cutean's prowess as a master of wordplay with an unusual and thoughtful approach to enlightening the consciousness of his listeners. A mainstay at folk festivals and fairs across the country, this past year was Cutean's 16th year as a performer at the Oregon Country Fair. Cutean has lived in Austin, Seattle and Chicago and now bases his operations out of both Portland and Eugene. After having returned from his 24th Kerrville Festival, three other CDs were released on which Cutean has songwriting credits: Willy Porter's High Wire Live and Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen's CD Sense of Place.
All Night Radio, Spirit Stereo Frequency 2004, SUB POP RECORDS By Sean Campanella Remember the tall, pale guy at the end of your dorm hall? The one who was always gassed up on caffeine at 4 am, making screensavers to match his favorite Hendrix songs, the one who knew everything about music and computers? Dave Scher and Jimi Hey of All Night Radio remember that guy.
Their debut release, Spirit Stereo Frequency, brims with the same insouciance and creative impulse — keep an ear out for multiple layers of undulating short-wave, glockenspiel, Moog synthesizer, bicycle chain and lots of other dreamy effects. All Night Radio displays all the craft, obsession and youthful license of the late '60s progressive pop movement, minus almost all of the genre's serious intent. Playful, not amateurish; goofy, not irreverent — Spirit Stereo Frequency is an homage to the prog-pop gods and a tip of the madcap to their psychedelic leanings. All Night Radio's sound is sunny and upbeat; the result, ironically, is more of a skip-in-your-step daytrip than a wee-hour tour of the radio dial. The closing track is the exception; it spirals for several minutes into a fading loop of crickets, ghostly voices and sleepy-eyed acoustics, peeling away from the rest of the album like the final layer of consciousness.
The Wobblies, Undesirable Citizens 2003, TERRA FORMA RECORDS. By Robert Jacobs This is a band of pissed off pirates born centuries too late. Instead of cutlasses and daggers, this Corvallis/Eugene band has drums, bass, and guitars. The broadsides are their lyrics, blasting at the current establishment. Sonically, the CD is a mix of Misfits, Pogues and Sub-Humans, with a sprinkling of Nirvana. The songs are short, machine-gun bursts of acid lyrics followed by surprisingly tuneful, yet oddly timed choruses, adding to the refreshing quality of the album. There's no room for self-indulgent solos here. In fact, this lack of posturing is evident throughout the whole record. The lyrics reveal themselves to be alive, insightful, angry, funny and thought provoking. It's cool to hear punk rock discussing problems that are serious, adult and real. If there is a flaw, it may be in that many of the songs have a similar sound. Also, sometimes the guitars sound out of tune. But that doesn't draw one iota of enjoyment away from this impressive debut. These songs may not be perfect, but they are real, raw and vital. That, in my mind, is what punk rock is all about. Standout tracks are "Flowers in the Frost" and "Rich Man's War."
Station Wag, Just Like That ... 2004, SELF-RELEASED. By Matthew T. Stone The local rock group Station Wag possess a sound that is as sleek and feral as their cat mascot, and their self-released debut Just Like That... exemplifies not only their penchant for songwriting, but the apparent feeling that, to them, an album stamped with a Parental Advisory label would be a badge of honor. About the band: Lead guitarist Andy is an interstellar wizard with effects; the pedals before his feet stir the brew of the cosmic sound from his instrument. Singer Candace emits a voice of luscious viciousness, along with a primal growl which puts forth the sweetness of rage. All this while the combined forces of rhythm guitarist Ana, bassist Eric and drummer Tom create a three-way bundle of coitus-rock-music. About the album: The opening track, "Whore," stands out upon the ears as pure rock-and-roll-commentary on society. Songs like "Spider" and "Sod" showcase the band's sense of rhythm, while others like "Candy Girl," "Float" and "Door" pull forth the artists' feelings of injustice, which we all must feel from time to time whether we want to or not. All of us wear chaos behind our invisible masks. The members of Station Wag have not only removed their masks, but thrown them to the curb.
Wilco, A Ghost Is Born 2004, NONESUCH RECORDS. By Emily Carson
For those longing for a return to an album full of Wilco's easy rockers like "Casino Queen" (A.M.), or wispy ballads like "She's a Jar" or "Via Chicago" (Summerteeth), this is not the record for you. For those searching for that crumbling sensation, the beautiful, tooth-grinding ache perfected by "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), you may be much closer — though there's still something magical about A Ghost Is Born that defies the notion that the album should be called Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Redux. The band hits heavy on Ghost like never before. The arrangements are intricate: tense mixes of synth, organ, piano, clanging electric guitar and droning dulcimer. Well-paced changes in tempo create drastic shifts in mood throughout the album, ranging widely from folk-song sobriety to dark electronica to sheer playfulness — sometimes all in one track. Put on the 10:35 epic "Spiders (Kidsmoke)," and you'll see what I mean. Old fans: Put on "Hummingbird," and note the maturity; hear the faint echoes of the Beatles' "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and appreciate a band that has managed to age so well. For the rest: Go buy the record. Discover something new to hold onto.
BLACK FOREST
CAFE PARADISO CLUB TSUNAMI COFFEE GROVE COOPERATIVE COUNTRY SIDE RESTAURANT
COZMIC PIZZA@THE STRAND All
Ages DIABLO'S DOWNTOWN LOUNGE DUCK INN EARLY RISE CAFE EMBERS SUPPER CLUB EUGENE WINE CELLARS GOOD TIMES JO FEDERIGO'S JOHN HENRY'S THE JUNGLE LAVELLE'S WINE BAR & BISTRO LONE STAR BAR AND GRILL LUCKEY'S CLUB CIGAR LUNA MAC'S AT THE VET'S
MCDONALD THEATRE THE O BAR OREGON ELECTRIC STATION OUR PLACE TAVERN PEABODY'S PERUGINO PLANET GOLOKA QUACKER'S RAMADA INN SAM BOND'S GARAGE SAMURAI DUCK STACY'S COVERED BRIDGE TAP 'N' KEG TAYLOR'S BAR AND GRILL WETLANDS THE WONDERLAND THE WOODSMAN
WOW HALL All Ages YUKON JACK'S
CORVALLIS BEANERY FOX 'N' FIRKIN MURPHY'S PLATINUM NIGHT CLUB
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