Thursday, June 03, 2004

It's nothing for me to say that this interview with NORE is appalling and hilarious and you should read it right now. It's nothing. (Credit Cocaine Blunts and Catchdubs)

This blog makes me proud to rep B-More. Why don't these guys have jobs writing for Murder Dog?

I feel bad for just about every indie rock band in America right now, because they all have to compete with the Hold Steady, and they just don't have what it takes. The Hold Steady totally owned at the Supreme Imperial last night: bar-rock guitar solos + Craig Finn wriggling around like a tourettic high school bio teacher = pure entertainment. "Certain Songs" is the best power ballad an indie-rock band could possibly make. The sound could have been better, and the crowd was nowhere near big enough, but the Hold Steady rocked it like it was an arena. I left before the Thermals got done playing. A couple of years ago, I would've loved that band. There's plenty of stuff to like: punchy rhythm section, short, energetic songs, earnestly snotty vocals like the guy from Propaghandi. But somehow I just wasn't feeling it. It probably says more about me than it does about the band, but then again they should've known better than to play after the Hold Steady. Double Dagger was its usual entertaining self, but their live show hasn't really changed in the past two years - they could use a hypeman or something, just to switch it up. I'd be more psyched about it if I hadn't already seen them a whole lot. I'd never heard Cicaeda, and I was feeling them. Big, theatrical fuzzed-out guitar rock is OK with me, especially when it's made by women who look like kooky middle-school art teachers. I'm less and less into rock shows, though. And there's something sad and oppressive about a large, mostly empty space. It's nearly impossible to feel like you're part of something there.