Cabron, Batwings, Dissimilars, Frauds Live at Scolaris

So we’re playing Scolari’s with our good friends Batwings on Saturday night. Those guys are our rehearsal space neighbors and aside from being stand up dudes, their brand of post-punk swagger and Jehu-esque sound is really rad to behold. AND it’s Scolari’s, the first and friendliest (Freddy RIP) bar I ever stumbled into in San Diego. The drinks are poured heavy, it smells like 40 years of stale beer and puke (almost like the Boiler Room smelled back when it was the only place worth sitting in at the Tivoli in Denvoid) and now all three bands I’ve been a member of in this town will have played there. Gingtian Violet, The Turnstiles and now Cabron!, that is very cool. They have a very interesting system for paying bands as well. The shows are free, bands get drinks 20 min before – during their set – and 20 minutes after plus 50 bucks. Leo and I were discussing this with Bryan and Robert from Batwings the other night and realized what a good model this is, even for touring bands. No matter what the door ‘would’ve’ been and even if there are only like 5 people there the bands still make some money and get loaded. My good friend Cullen wrote an awesome, backhanded indictment/article for City Beat last week about this whole DJ/band thing taking place in San Diego (and I’m sure elsewhere in other hipster spots like NY and LA). Where DJ’s get equal billing with bands that are playing live. If you think that a DJ should get paid out of the ‘door,’ essentially taking cash from a band that is actually performing then you’re best bet is to go spend some time at the ‘clubs’ in SD (chain bars) that care more about selling booze than letting local talent blossom. It cannibalizes music. I’ll never be convinced that putting a a needle on vinyl is equal to playing a song with several other people, no matter how much beat matching and mixing you’re doing or how deep your vinyl collection is or what rare Hawkwind, CAN or Joy Division single you might be spinning. Music that is spun should be either relegated to the background, or put in the forefront to stand alone and get asses shaking, it should supplement a band not be an equal ‘performing’ entity.

We’re not cool enough!

Records you should be listening to this week: Aesop, Tegan and Sara, Les Savy Fav, Akimbo, Big Business

Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass Defjux Records

Aesop comes correct with this delightful answer to all the Kanye’d out crap hop pop, questioning existence, social status, and our place as humans in the grand scheme of things. Clever rhymes over slick beats produced in majority by Blockhead with the standout single and album namesake being one of the strongest. El-P lends his tasteful ingredients to “Gun for the Whole Family” and Aesop comes as the strongest closer with tracks 1, 7 and 11. This is a must have and will definitely be making my top 10 for 07.

Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends FrenchKiss Records

Tim Harrington and the gang took 6 years off to have a bunch of other slightly less interesting adventures while we all languished in their absence. Luckily they’ve managed to deliver one of their strongest albums to date. The post-punk guitar work of Seth Jabor cuts through Tim’s humorous barks as bassist Syd Butler and drummer Harrison Haynes provide one of the strongest backbones this side of Fugazi’s Joe Lally and Brendan Canty.

Big Business – Here Come the Waterworks Hydrahead

Well looks like Warren and Coady have accomplished what I didn’t think they’d be able to do – outshine the Melvins (a) Senile Animal with Here Comes the Waterworks. The two bands have been intertwined for some time now with Big Business official members of the legendary band. The addition of guitarist David Scott Stone to the drum and bass duo added that level of mid-range tonality they’d been missing on previous records. Waterworks is still incredibly dense and percussive. “Shields,” is one of my favorite tracks, it is intense. And I got it on 180 g gold vinyl!!!

Tegan and Sara – The Con Sire

For a major label release this album is ridiculously well produced. It helps that these twin nymphs employed the skilled hand of Chris Walla who for the past 5 years has crapped nothing but pure pop gold. While 2005’s So Jealous was a tad more acoustic guitar rock friendly, The Con welcomes Matt Sharp and his deft syth skills on more than a few tracks, giving this record some amazing hooks. Tegan and Sara’s lyrics have matured as well. This will be another record that radio stations will pass over but that doesn’t mean you should. Besides, who listens to the radio anymore anyway? You should listen to DJ Rosstar or Nic Harcourt at the very least anyway.

Akimbo – Navigating the Bronze Alternative Tentacles

For former Dead Kennedy’s frontman Jello Biafra’s record label that doesn’t have any bands doing any touring or moving any units, Akimbo is carrying more than their fair share. Touring in a van, eating Ramen noodles and drinking copious amounts of beer and playing places like San Diego’s illustrious local drunk drain, Scolari’s office make Akimobo’s brand of rock that much more palatable. “Wizard Van Wizard” contends to be the cock-rockiest of all nine tracks but the boys show their tenderness by moisturizing their thumbs prior to insertion on “The Curse of King David,” a riff driven aural assault.