Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Tetsuko-Curl



For 25 years, Tetsuko have presented a highly original and distinctive sound with seemingly no readily apparent influences. Art rock undercurrents along the lines of Talking Heads, Sparks, Roxy Music and Haruomi Hosono/Yellow Magic Orchestra may be detected, but their overall sound waves are undeniably pop. This makes sense as they started as a Beatles cover band in 1995. In fact, Reiko 渡邊玲子 has been playing with drummer Yasuyo 関安代 since junior high. The current lineup came together in 1999 at a Kyoto college with bassist Yoko 野瀬陽子 joining Reiko and Yasuyo. 
The trio achieves the tricky balance of aligning a churning rhythm section with Reiko’s charging guitar and charming vocals. They demonstrate their dexterity with dashing twists and turns through sparkling pop that most reminds me of Palomar or Kabochack. The band continuously punches above their weight and whips up an enlarged sound that is both enduring and appealing due to care they place in harmonies and arrangements. The last two years have been filled with momentum as they were headlining stars of Mike Rogers’ 2023 Japan Indies Music Awards that took place at the world famous Shibuya Milky Way Showroom in Tokyo. Further, 2024 has brought the worldwide release of Curl, which could be considered their catchiest, thickest sounding and most cohesive release of their long career.



Ladies First

The album opens in a big way with the seemingly detached trio coming together quickly in musical confluence. “Holy Girl, Tetsuko'' sprints out with a verse that echoes “Summer Means Fun” by Bruce and Terry before bursting into a top-of-the-world melody that could be a theme to a Japanese TV show. “15000th Time” is a floor shifting new wave number topped off with a chorus that seems actually inspired by “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper. One of their most daring numbers “Permanent,” is pulled off by their finesse along with the telepathy they have established by playing together for 25 years. It's almost Zappa-esque in its amorphous shape shifting and interludes of wooziness fastened by keyboard lines evocative of "Pop Goes the World" by Men Without Hats. It rates up there with “End of Philosophy” from their 2013 candy guitar ep or Ambassador アンバサダー from 2021's Perfect in terms of the band successfully stretching out. 


At times the atmosphere they create evokes the one found in Yoko Ono’s Approximately Infinite Universe, while their songs adhere to Yoko’s songs on Double Fantasy, which more than hinted Yoko was paying attention to Blondie and the B-52's-who Yoko initially inspired in the first place! Following the delightful and brilliant wackiness, is the straightforward Shonen Knife-ish “BABY, BABY, BABY,” one of their several songs with “Baby” in its title. (The others being “my BABY” from 2019’s I Love You and the epic “BABY” found on 2017’s Eros mini-album.) 

Tetsuko are conceptual artists that deliver exceptional goods. Further, they have always displayed a sense of dynamics in their concise and economical guitar-driven pop songs that efficiently motor along like a Honda Civic. Their latest Curl features a thicker, but not slicker sound along with some extra layers of sonic embellishments. Thankfully, the trio continue on as immediate and radiant as ever, while remaining the one and only Tetsuko.

Sunday, March 03, 2024

Alex Chilton-Ocean Club ‘77 & More

Like Lou Reed (1942-2013), listeners are still trying to wrap their heads around the music and myths of American legend Alex Chilton (1950-2010). Both went through a myriad of artistic changes and phases in their career. One started in a cult famous band (the Velvet Underground) and transformed into a bigger solo star during the classic rock era. In contrast, Alex Chilton started right from the top with the enduring 1967 hit “The Letter.” After forming the critically acclaimed, but marketplace flops Big Star, he worked along the periphery as a solo performer, provocateur and producer of bands like the Cramps and the Royal Pendletons. While Alex and Lou’s career trajectories went in opposite directions, a majority of their music continues to not only endure, but somehow reveal additional layers of depth with each passing year. Lou Reed (as a person and performer) could be said to be a face changer (Bian Lian 變臉), while Alex Chlton seemed to be just enigmatic Chilton. 



Alex was said to be petulant, mercurial and frustrating like a child, but also capable of numemous moments of brilliance and near genius. When he rose to the occasion and played up to his abilities, Chilton could overflow with joyous inspiration as he sang to his devoted audience and transfigured the moment like adult-child Brian Wilson. Appearance-wise Chilton was as handsome as Dennis Wilson and he could look so debonair like a soul deep and professorial Southern gentleman.  Other times, he would wear shabby plain white t-shirts like the New York City cab driver he once was.

Alex Chilton & Dennis Wilson-1968 Beach Boys/Box Tops tour.

It has taken me almost 50 years to finally get into his untamed and unvarnished solo sides after growing up with the Box Tops on oldies radio and the requisite discovery of Big Star during my college years in the early '90s. I recall going to Tower Records in Chicago, which yielded Big Star's #1 Record/Radio City two-fer on CD and a copy of the revelatory Memphis ‘zine Wipe Out! Guide for Goners no. 6  besides being blown away seeing rack after rack of Ventures reissues from Japan.  
Off the Cuff
While many will say he squandered some of his immense talents, Chilton seemed to relish in venturing far off the musical rails and defying most expectations. However, he could quickly snap into the alignment when necessary due to those aforementioned talents and/or when it was necessary to make some money (as he would candidly admit in interviews about the Box Tops and Big Stars reunions). Still he seemed to have never left his wilderness years and appeared content to play music from time to time and flip channels between Walker, Texas Ranger and college basketball. This was the same artist who collaborated with photographer William Eggleston and created spiritual pop with Chris Bell! An any rate, it was all a part of what made Alex who he was along with his refreshing “Take It or Leave It" attitude.

Nevertheless, the spotty studio albums along with a protracted jumble of odds & ends from labels from all over the world continued to surface year after year. It was understandable when a friend declared, “I don’t go out of my way to seek out Alex Chilton solo albums, I let them come to me.” Still, Like Flies on Sherbert is a compelling stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll record and sounds nothing like 1980 (and 1980 was a pretty good year for music in general.) I would say age, additional exposure to music and hopefully some more wisdom regarding the human condition does certainly lead to the understanding and enjoyment of Chilton’s perennial messiness. By the way, you can hear the influence of the title track on Freezing Hands’ “High Diver!” found on their Empty the Tank album from 2023.

Electricity by Candlelight NYC 2/13/97 is Chilton’s own Beach Boys’ Party! moment that has him “preaching to the choir” with three Beach Boys numbers (“Wouldn't It Be Nice,” “Surfer Girl,” “Solar System”) who return the mutual love in return. You can hear the communion in the room by the sound of overflowing applause during this stretch of the show. (Remember that Chilton’s Box Tops toured with Beach Boys in 1967-68 and the Beach Boys’ own live 1967 cover of “The Letter” can be heard on Sunshine Tomorrow.) It was the right place at the right time as Chilton was in his impromptu comfort zone and electrifying as Reddy Kilowatts. This all-covers and acoustic recording is highly recommended when it comes to capturing absolute Alex and an overall majestic performance.  


Alex also expressed his devotion to the Beach Boys after his remarkable April 1996 set with Teenage Fanclub in their Glasgow hometown when he thanks Carl, Dennis and Brian…and inexplicably Gene Krupa. With being the master of the straight-foward, endearing and catchy pure-pop song, Alex was embraced and adored by the shambolic Scottish pop scene. Teenage Fanclub and Alex Chilton made for quite a combination in the realm of guitar-driven pop.  “Telstar” and “Have I the Right,” “Free Again” and “Patti Girl” by ‘60s Ohio kiddie band Garry and the Hornets were all part of the stellar set-list that night.

Chilton’s taste in music was undeniably Grade-A. Over the years, his expansive “human jukebox” repertoire ranged freely from the most unvarnished R&B, country shuffles, ‘70s soul and snotty garage punk of the Seeds to cosmopolitan classics like “Volaré,” “The Girl From Ipanema” along with the warmth of the Beach Boys. While sometimes criticized for “relying” heavily on covers, Alex was generously sharing his discoveries, recognizing the unsung and tapping his vast talents with his interpretations. In other words, his tastes were too universal and his passion too strong to be contained and listeners are all the better for it. 

20 years earlier, Alex was seemingly in another one of his murky and makeshift phases of his life that lead to the gritty Ocean Club ‘77 performance. The February night show has Chilton fronting a trio with backing vocals & bass from Chris Stamey and Lloyd Fonoroff on drums. The Lower Manhattan Ocean Club was a bar, restaurant, and performance venue operated by Max's Kansas City owner Mickey Ruskin and was commonly known as simply, "The Ocean Club." The New York-area seemed to be a place where Chilton thrived as a live performer as evidenced from the raspy voiced performance of “The Letter” at The Bitter End* (*actually a soundstage in New Jersey) where he seemed to tap into his inner-Jim Morrison to his cover of “Duke of Earl” at Coney Island High in 1998 where you can detect his influence on Ted Leo.

In the Ocean Club ‘77 liner notes, Michael Hurtt articulately conveys the “crossroads” both New York City and Chilton were at in 1977. Hurtt writes that Chilton's particular stint in the city is crucial for “Revealing a hitherto unheard middle ground between pop perfection and rock ‘n’ roll iconoclasm.”  On this night, Alex was generous with the Big Star songs that were then of recent vintage. At the time, “September Gurls,” “In the Street,”, “Back of a Car” “O My Soul” and “Way Out West” had yet to achieve their full exalted status. After a snarling and coiling version of the Seeds’ “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine," the trio unfolds “The Letter” which is reconfigured in a hard, heavy manner bordering on deconstruction.

Chilton 1977 at CBGB with Chris Stamey on bass

A heartfelt version of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” brings California summer to the New York winter and is appropriately followed by “Way Out West.” The Memphis sound reappears with “She Might Look My Way.” This co-write with Tommy Hoehn would later surface on Chris Stamey’s Great Escape album from 2023. The set surprisingly ends with a composition from Nelson Slater-one of Lou Reed’s old band buddies from Syracuse University. Reed produced Nelson’s Wild Angel album that was released by RCA in September 1976. Only Alex would choose to cover such marginal material that wasn’t even a year old. The Memphis trickster concludes by playing the unexpected wild card. On this night, he shattered expectations by presenting a well-balanced and diversified set with one foot in the past and one foot orientated towards the future as he embraced the moment.
Whatever prevailing winds were blowing through the music industry during his time, Chilton seemed smartly removed, nonchalant and unconcerned. He went against the grain of the music industry and also possibly against himself for better or worse. Being a musical force of nature often comes with a strong personality. Many strong personalities and contrarians can quickly become wearing, boring and predictable. Alex was one of the exceptions and like Lou Reed, he defied the odds and artistically succeeded on his own terms.

Post-note
Carrying on the Memphis soul-pop tradition is Chilton’s Big Star bandmate Jody Stephens. In 2023, Those Pretty Wrongs released their third album Camp Holiday which was overlooked by many including myself. Further listening reveals the Big Star spirit with striking lyrics, soaring harmonies and memorable pop songs like “Paper Cup.”

Friday, January 19, 2024

Human Switchboard-Who's Landing in My Hangar?


For some reason, Human Switchboard has eluded me in that I had not previously heard their music until 2024. Despite reading good things about them, I was somehow under the impression they were much more of a new wave synth rock outfit that played with a cold detachment...like a more arty Human League or a more melodic Human Sexual Response. I recently happened upon their first and only album Who's Landing in My Hangar? in a stack of donated records that actually included reissued White Light/White Heat by the Velvet Underground and Captain Beefheart’s Safe As Milk. Their prominent use of the Fafisa struck me hard and fast like hearing live Modern Lovers for the first time on Precise Modern Lovers Order. Not only present were the Lou Reed-ish vocals that reminded me also of those of Brother JT from the Original Sins, but also the most welcomed counterbalancing female vocals in the realm between Maureen Tucker and Chrissie Hynde. I also thought they were born and bred in the skyscraper canyons of New York City and shared sidewalks with Warhol. While they made their waves on the live front both opening for the likes of Alex Chilton and headlining in the New York City area (e.g.., CBGB’s Danceteria, Hurrah, Maxwell’s, Max’s Kansas City, Peppermint Lounge) their time spent growing up and living in industrial Northeast Ohio and snowy Syracuse were just as much an integral influence upon their sound. In their case, they embodied a good type of scrappy Midwestern resourcefulness coupled with the fortitude to make it happen against the prevailing headwinds. Overall, they generated a record that both reflects and transcends their era and continues to endure.

Worth the Excitement

Who's Landing in My Hangar? displays not only their vast versatility, but also their command to cast moods across the record, along with expressing a spillway of emotions within the songs themselves.  While their sound touches upon street rock, art punk, soul, garage and power-pop, they are ultimately singular, complex and uncategorizable. In other words, despite the genre hopscotching, they retained their consistent character across their recordings.

From the Other Music documentary
Another View
Most of all, they drew from the depths of the Velvet Underground and made an exalted sound of their own that connected to the stripped down, yet not thin or threadbare essence that I frequently value in music. Behind the wall of guitars and brimming keyboards, their rhythm section also exhibited the push-and-pull of the early Talking Heads. 

Who Put the Bomp?
Additionally, Human Switchboard appeared on the 1979 Bomp compilation Waves (An Anthology Of New Music Vol.1) and reminded me of being on a similar wavelength of what the Last were doing on their second album Look Again when Vitus Matare’s Farfisa keyboards rose to the forefront. Perhaps only Seymour Stein could match Bomp’s Greg Shaw when it came to prospecting powerful and lasting pop during the ‘70s. 

Myrna Marcarian (keyboards) & Bob Pfeifer (guitar)

Complementary Contrasts
One of their innate abilities was their ability to make discontent flow seemingly. This particular ability could be said to be the highest fulfillment of the promise of the new wave movement. Behind this musical dichotomy are the dueling identities of Myrna Marcarian and Robert Pfeifer. Combinations of absence/presence, straightforwardness/circuitousness and clarity/dissonance are some of the dynamics at play. It works like the epiphany when an art teacher imparts the concept of negative space and the physical and spiritual world momentarily snaps into place.


Urban Core
Leading off is the majestic “(Say No to) Saturday’s Girl” that is almost a response song to Blondie’s “Sunday Girl” mixed in with some Lulu and Lesley Gore loveliness. The frantic “Who’s Landing In My Hangar?” features Marcarian’s pronounced organ stabbing in a good way as she takes it to the edge against the rush of Pfeifer’s “New York Subway” spiraling guitar. “In This Town” is their Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra moment, albeit with lyrics expressing the cold indifference of the city. Further, their songs retain their insurgency, while capturing the ominous feelings of an unraveling New York and the bleak drabness of Cleveland of the time. To start side 2, Marcarian steps back up to take lead vocals on “I Can Walk Alone.” The sweeping song is a personal manifesto and declaration of fortitude set to an indelible melody.
 

Despite all the Computations
In retrospect, the full focus should have been on Myrna Marcarian as she co-composed their two best standalone songs ”(Say No to) Saturday Girl” and “I Can Walk Alone.” However, to fully appreciate the light, one must obviously have contrast with the darkness. While “Don’t Follow Me Home” does hinge to the Doors a little too closely, it does resolve with sweetness and light courtesy of countervailing backing vocals from Marcarian. The jaunty “Book on Looks” tilts towards the superrock of the Fleshtones.  Pfeifer continues to deliver his confessionals and character studies with deadpan vocals that hover between art skronk, bursts of squalling sax and perpetual motion to where the light breaks.

Casting Their Spell

Live video footage shows their conviction and compassion for what they did as Myrna Marcarian is beyond convincing with her strident vocals and arresting keyboard playing. She is indeed a colorful focal point who brought in an advanced pop awareness and humane presence that clashed and converged with the street level sensibility of Bob and the sparks and shards flying off his guitar.  He certainly knew his way around the guitar and the interplay with Marcarian’s Farfisa organ is an essential element to their amalgamated sound. Live footage also reveals drummer Ron Metz played in a similar rangy fashion as John Dugan of Chisel.

Future Shock
Their sound did get glossier as the ‘80s ensued and 1983 Polydor demos revealed somebody (that is John Stainze) was trying to possibly shine them up to be an American answer to Culture Club. (For the record, I do enjoy Culture Club.) Still, “A Lot Of Things” is an all-around captivating pop song that benefits from the studio polish as well as being reminiscent of the Bangles at their best. On these later recordings, Pfifers’ quavering voice goes less Lou Reed and more in the direction of solo Mick Jagger or solo David Johansen. Your mileage may vary as some listeners do indeed enjoy this late phase in which Marcarian’s signature Farfisa sound is replaced by a Korg.


Ripple Effect

The 1981 album caught them at the peak of powers in a run that spanned from 1977 to 1984. Be sure to check out some of their compelling early garagey material that appeared on Who's Landing in My Hangar? Anthology 1977-1984 CD from 2011. The slinky “I Gotta Know” and “San Francisco Nights” deserve special mention as the former features Myrna on the glockenspiel and connects Girl Group pop to Paul Revere & the Raiders, while the latter is a Robert Pfeifer standout inspired by the Pickwick Poet Lou Reed.  
Making the Connection They were also the little band that got raved about by big acts like Lenny Kaye, Elvis Costello, the Beastie Boys, and Kurt Cobain (how did he hear so many records in his short 27 years?). Their sound would go on to influence not only the Feelies, Yo La Tengo and indie-popsters like Saturday Looks Good to Me and Lewsberg, but also the multitudes of garage bands now treated with indifference like the Kent 3. Living up to the promise of new wave is what sets this group and record apart from so many others. Consequently, Who's Landing in My Hangar? will reveal itself to the listener in its own time-even if it takes 42 years.
Ron Metz (drums), Myrna Marcarian (keyboards) & Bob Pfifer (guitar)

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Favorites of 2023


 1. Cut Worms-Cut Worms

3. The Feelies-Some Kinda Love
Performing the Music of The Velvet Underground

4. Uni Boys-Buy This Now!

5. Logan Ledger-Golden State

7. The Long Ryders-September November

8. The Wrong Society-Down With

Reissues & Collections
2. Astrud Gilberto-Now

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Doré L.A. Soul Sides / Doré L.A. Soul Sides 2

The rise of the Doré label coincided with Los Angeles’ ascent as an epicenter in the U.S. recording industry. Along with Era, Del-Fi, GNP Crescendo, Dot, Specialty and Imperial, Doré was part of the scrappy, enterprising and vibrant Los Angeles independent rock ‘n’ roll scene before the major labels (RCA Victor, Columbia, Capitol, Warner Bros.) became truly established and entrenched on the West Coast. 

Lewis Bedell’s Doré Records started as a subsidiary of Era Records in 1958. In the shadows of the Capitol Records tower, Doré operated in the heart of Hollywood at Sunset & Vine. In its early stages, the label was known for its numerous pop, doo wop and novelty flops. However, a fortuitous turn of events occurred with the arrival of Phil Spector with his group the Teddy Bears to the label. “To Know Him is to Love Him” was Spector’s breakthrough that went on to become a worldwide hit and an enduring classic.  Doré was also the launchpad label for Jan & Dean. In addition, both Lew Adler (Dunhill & Ode Records) and Herb Albert (A&M Records) began their legendary music industry careers at Doré. By the mid-sixties, Lew had the foresight to detect that soul music was the only style that could withstand the onslaught of the British Invasion and the Beatles. 

Lew Bedell-1969

The collection opens with the lush and lavish “It Only Hurts for a Little While” by the Whispers, which was recorded at Gold Star Studios with the booming sonics bolstered by such session giants as Hal Blaine, Tommy Tedesco and Jules Wechter. “Baby’s Gone Away” by the Superbs features Eleanor Greene on lead vocals, who would later become known as Eleanor May after her marriage to Los Angeles Angels baseball pitcher Rudy May. Sweet, smooth and spacious vocal harmonies come to the fore on this 1965 single. Eleanor was also involved with the Shade of Jade whose ”Why Does It Feel So Right (Doing Wrong)” sounds like it should have been a 1968 hit as well as almost foreshadowing 1971’s “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight.

“Family Man” by Slim & the Twilight might be a blatant rip off of “Mother-In-Law” by the Ernie-K-Doe, but it’s also from the pen of Russ Regan who had a legendary career in the music industry starting in promotions with Motown before later presiding over Uni Records. “Family Man” would also have been an apt cover in the age of Peter Zaremba's Love Delegation.


The Superbs appear again with “On a Day When It's Raining.” It’s an easy going atmospheric record that showcases their effervescent vocal group harmony. The Natural Resources were sort of a Doré supergroup and also the label’s entry in the domain of the late ‘60s psychedelic pop-soul to compete with the likes of the 5th Dimension, Friends of Distinction, Rotary Connection. In the early ‘70s, the Natural Resources would record under the name of Natural Resources Unpolluted with a sound that went deeper into the funk a la Sly Stone & the Family Stone. 

Pinnacles of Mid-Sixties Soul The liner notes reveal “The Winds Kept Laughing“ by Betty and the Chevelles was augmented by members of the Cascades (of "Rhythm of the Falling Rain” fame). It starts off guitar driven and ramshackle before a surprise turn into sweeping 1964 production pop with a musical bed that evokes “The Lonely Surfer” by Jack Nitzsche from the previous year. The Vel-Vettes’ dramatic 1966 number “You Really Never Know Until It’s Over” follows and is a charming example of the late girl-group sound on the subtle, yet soulful side.


“Gone With the Wind Is My Love” by Rita and the Tiaras contains all the de rigueur elements to make it a classic of the Northern Soul scene. The belting vocals of jazz singer Rita Graham combined with a captivating backing track by the Tiaras lifts this one over the top. Little Johnny Hamilton & the Creators’ “Oh How I Love You” is another stomper blaring with horns and bursting with building energy. In my imagination, I can also hear this covered by the Action and ? and the Mysterians. Further, prepare yourself for an instrumental break on par with Ramsey Lewis.


I was surprised that I hadn't previously heard “We Together Baby” by Smokey & the Bears until this compilation. This thrilling 1967 instrumental is a direct lift of “Louie Louie” blended with “Soul Finger” by the Bar-Kays to whip up an entirely new creation. Hearing the yearning “I Want You” with its spare guitar grandeur by Dee Torres on WFMU’s Cool Blue Flame is what initially drew me to further explore the Doré Records story beyond my Jan & Dean records. The timeless, mysterious and otherworldly song defies categorisation, while also aptly described on YouTube as an “excellent barrio ballad.” The glimmering guitar triplets flicker like candles over swells of organ to cast a sublime atmosphere. 


“I Cry Only Once a Day Now” by the Puffs is a 1966 update of a 1962 Lew Bedell composition and is done in classic girl-group fashion. The Superbs continue their role as soft soul serenaders on the second volume with “Goddess of Love.”  Bobby Swayne handles the lead vocals on this sunlit soul-pop crossover.  


While Doré’s main focus was decidedly on the soul side during the ‘60s, it surprisingly also released some garage & psychedelic records in the mid to late ‘60s.  Records from this surprising phase can be heard on the Blow My Mind! The Doré-Era-Mira Punk and Psych Legacy compilation. By the ‘70s, Dore was primarily known as a comedy label and in a way it was a return to form as Lew Bendell started in the entertainment industry as a stand-up comedian. Comedy albums by Hudson & Landy are easy to catch in the used bargain bins here in the West. I bought Hangin’ in There for a buck because it was supposedly recorded at the Pomona National Golf and Country Club. I ended up releasing it back to Goodwill as their '70s humor (which dates quickly) did not do it for me.  


Lew Bedell is said to be one of the good guys in the recording industry of the mid-century. He was willing to give musical aspirants a chance to transcend the quotidian and possibly achieve their artistic dreams. Bedell did indeed create a conducive atmosphere for the many who recorded for Doré. These records endure today because they express the wide-open possibilities of Los Angeles. Additionaly, they retain a gritty street level and small label essence now championed by archival labels like Now-Again and Numero Group and embraced by subsequent generations of listeners. These two volumes showcase the remarkable range of the label’s soul releases. Most of all, these records are still breaking through like the sun over the California coast.

The Creators from Compton who backed Little Johnny Hamilton