Del Tha Funkee Homosapien TONIGHT at Slowdown

Yeah, kind of last minute notice on this show, but I still wanted to mention it. One of the best rappers in all of underground hip-hop, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien (aka Deltron Z), will be performing in Omaha tonight at The Slowdown.

Del is a solo artist, but he is also a member of the hip-hop all-star group Hieroglyphics and of Gorillaz. Back in 2000, Del replaced Kool Keith as the MC for Dr. Octagon (though producer/collaborator Dan "The Automator" Nakamura changed the project name to Deltron 3030). Del is a master lyricist and rapper and most underground hip-hop artists owe a huge debt to him.

Tickets are still available for $18 at the door.

Brief Post on the Bright Eyes Show Last Night

Yeah, so I made it down to the Bright Eyes show at Waiting Room last night for 1% Productions' 10th anniversary celebration. Decent show - very packed. I got there about 9:30 and the place was already overflowing with people. It wasn't "uncomfortable crowded" but it was the most full I have ever seen Waiting Room. This might have to do with all of the additional equipment and whatnot from Bright Eyes that was using all of the space to the left of the stage. That is usually open, and therefore, filled with people. Last night, obviously, it wasn't.

I missed pretty much all of Flowers Forever, but I am not too broken up about it. I've seen them before, and was not overly impressed. Never been a Tilly & the Wall fan, so anything associated with them starts at a disadvantage with me. I caught Simon Joyner's set. No comment. Someone overheard me asking, "Where is a sniper when you need one?" during the show, so I guess that sums up my feelings on Joyner's music (of course the sniper would just be using tranquilizer darts -- no one needs to be killed, of course).

After a rather long set change, Bright Eyes came up and played a pretty good, pretty rocking set (as rocking as Bright Eyes gets). I was confused as to who was on stage with Conor. I barely recognized anyone from this version of the band. He had David Rawlings on guitar, who I know frequently works with Gillian Welch, but I have no idea about anyone else. Speaking of Gillian Welch, I thought I spotted her walking around in the crowd. It was her, and she later came up on stage and did a few songs with BE (most notably "Classic Cars").

I left before the encore because I was beat, but according to Omahype, one of the encore tunes was a cover of Tom Petty's "Walls" with Gillian and Simon Joyner helping out. I would have liked to have seen that, actually. Oh well...

UPDATE: Pitchfork has photos from the show.

No Sophomore Slump

Two newer groups I like a lot just put out their second cds.

Film School's album is called "Hideout" and on it they continue to develop their dark, dreamy sound. Some great stuff, including one cut that sounds like Blue Oyster Cult playing surf rock.

I'm also enjoying "Fourth and Wall" by West Indian Girl. They have
a real happy sound, sort of a techno psychedelia. Very fun.

New American Music Club CD in February

Merge Records has announced a release date for the next American Music Club CD, The Golden Age. It is scheduled for a February 18 release. Pitchfork has a track listing:

01 All My Love
02 The Victory Choir
03 The Decibels and the Little Pills
04 The Sleeping Beauty
05 The Stars
06 All the Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco
07 Who You Are
08 The Windows on the World
09 One Step Ahead
10 The Dance
11 I Know That's Not Really You
12 On My Way
13 The Grand Duchess of San Francisco

Swervedriver Announces 2008 Reunion!!!

Got this bulletin sent to me today on MySpace:

"After almost a 10-year long absence, the revered UK band SWERVEDRIVER plans to reform for an early 2008 worldwide tour. Swervedriver is Adam Franklin on guitar and vocals, Jimmy Hartridge on guitar, Steve George on bass, and Jez on drums. Swervedriver formed in Oxford, England in 1989 and released a series of EP's followed by their debut full-length, Raise, in 1991 on Creation Records in the UK and A&M Records in the U.S. Mezcal Head followed in 1993, then in 1995 Ejector Seat Reservation came out on Creation in the UK, but was only available as an import in the US. Their last release, 99th Dream, was released by Zero Hour in 1998. Tour dates for Swervedriver will be announced shortly. Adam Franklin is in the midst of a U.S. solo tour in support of Bolts of Melody, which was released this past June on Hi-Speed Soul."

Bright Eyes at Waiting Room - TONIGHT!!

Yep. Tonight's the big Bright Eyes show in the little room. If you are just hearing about this now, you are waaaayyy too late to get a ticket. Conor and band will be making their debut appearance at Omaha's premier indie hot spot, The Waiting Room. Tickets were $15, but they sold out in a matter of minutes.

Bright Eyes is playing such a small room to help the owners of Waiting Room, 1% Productions, celebrate their 10th anniversary in business. I will be there. There are openers, but honestly, I don't care who they are. Seeing Bright Eyes in a club again (as opposed to some super sterile performing arts center) will be enough for me.

R.I.P. Paul Raven

(antiMusic) Ministry's bassist Paul Raven was found dead Saturday in a private home in a small French village on the Swiss border. Initial reports indicate Raven's passing was due to a heart attack. Raven (known also for his work with Killing Joke, Prong) was in Geneva working with French recording artists Treponem Pal on their new release, with Marco Neves, Ted Parsons (Prong) and members of The Young Gods.

Born in Wolverhampton UK on January 16, 1961, Paul Vincent Raven established himself with his work in the seminal post-punk/industrial group Killing Joke when, in 1982 he replaced the original bassist for the band, recording and touring with the group throughout its most commercially successful period, performing on Fire Dances, Night Time and Brighter than a Thousand Suns. Throughout his extensive career, Raven participated in other collaborations including Prong, Murder, Inc., Pigface, Godflesh.

Most recently, Raven was nominated for a 2006 Grammy for Best Metal Performance for his work with Ministry's Al Jourgensen, with whom he had begun working with in late 2005 on the 13th Planet release Rio Grande Blood. After a 2006 World Tour with Ministry, Raven helped Jourgensen and Prong's Tommy Victor pen the September 18, 2007 Ministry release The Last Sucker, Ministry's final studio release.

States Jourgensen: "I am in total shock. The world of music is a sadder, emptier place. Not only was Raven an extraordinary talent, but one of my closest dearest friends. Our condolences and prayers go to his immediate family. He will be truly missed by artists, musicians and his fans the world over.

"The one consolation is knowing Raven's already hooked up with the right people and started a new project in the After Life. God's speed, Raven. Rest In Peace, you f*cking pirate."

Raven's newest project, Mob Research, featuring members of Warrior Soul and The Mission UK, and schedule for release on 13th Planet Records in 2008, was in the final mixing and mastering phases at the time of Raven's sudden and unexpected passing.

A memorial dedicated to the Life and Art of Paul Raven can be found at www.thirteenthplanet.com

KISSology 3 - December 18

Hot on the heels of the fantastic DVD collections KISSology and KISSology #2, the band that never misses an opportunity to get even more of my money, KISS, has announced the information on the next set, KISSology #3. This edition focuses on the years 1992-2000, so it will include the final tour without the make-up, the Unplugged show, and all of the original line-up reunion stuff. Personally, I'm most excited about the show from Detroit in 1996 which was the first concert from that reunion tour -- and I was there!!

Besides all of the aforementioned stuff, this DVD set will also include the entire 1973 concert from the Coventry club in New York. There was a one song teaser on Volume 1, but this is supposed to be the entire show. It is practically the Holy Grail of KISS video since this shows them as a young, club band. Can't wait.

For a complete track listing, check KISS Asylum.

Adam Franklin Wrap-Up

I am feeling beyond exhausted this morning sitting here at work because I barely got any sleep last night after the Adam Franklin show. How was it? It was amazing. Thanks for asking. I was able to chat with Adam for a good while prior to the show, and it turns out that he did listen to some of my podcast on Swervedriver. Cool. Apparently, though, not too many people from Omaha did, because the attendance at the show was minimal. Still, for the 25 or so people who were there, it was a thoroughly enjoyable show. Adam's guitar playing was spectacular, and though I didn't recognize any Swervedriver songs, it still felt a little bit I was seeing him play "back in the day."

Thanks to Omahahype and Lazy-I for helping me plug the show (by plugging my podcast). Every little bit helps, you know.

This Week's MUST SEE Concert - Adam Franklin

The next two weeks are pretty crowded on the Omaha concert calendar, and I am worried that one particularly special concert may get overlooked. That show is the Adam Franklin show on Tuesday night at Waiting Room.

Adam, as you no doubt already know, was the lead singer and guitarist for 90s British rockers Swervedriver. I love Swervedriver's music more than words can say. For a time, they epitomized pretty much everything I liked about rock music: lots of distortion, lots of noise, and nice, catchy pop songs buried beneath the chaos. No one did it better than Swervedriver. That important band broke up (or went on "hiatus") in 1999, and since that time, Adam Franklin has been recording and touring using the name Toshack Highway. He explored some quieter sounds, with more acoustic based music. He also began adding elements of ambient music to his palette as well.

A few months ago, Franklin released his first album under his own name, Bolts of Melody. To many -- myself included -- it signals a return to the "Swervedriver sound" or a more aggressive, guitar based sound. I love it! He is currently in the midst of a nationwide tour promoting the album. Check the tour dates here.

As I mentioned, Adam plays in Omaha Tuesday night. I implore you to attend. Tickets are a mere $10 and are available here. This will be the first time he has ever played in Omaha, and I don't want to be embarrassed. C'mon people!!

To get yourself primed for the show, check out my all Swervedriver and Adam Franklin podcast here. That should wet your appetite for the concert. Don't miss this show, it could be the sleeper show of the year.

Superdrag Reunion Report Card

I'm back from my weekend trip to Chicago for the Superdrag reunion. The show was a fun trip down memory lane, but was a little underwhelming in all honesty. Superdrag was a big band for me in the late 90s, and their 2nd full-length, Head Trip in Every Key, is one of my favorites of all time. I was able to see the band a number of times between 2000 and 2003, when Superdrag was a trio. I was never able to see them in their original, four-piece incarnation. So, for that reason, this was a unique experience for me.

It was fun seeing all the guys together again, but the show was paced very poorly. They started out by playing six or seven songs in a row from their "hit" album, Regretfully Yours. It wasn't until midway through the show before they played anything from Head Trip. Once they did, the crowd got more enthused, and the band got tighter. The encore included tunes from their first EP, and one song from In The Valley of Dying Stars, which was from the trio-era of the band's career. Interesting choice.

All in all, it was a good time, and I'm glad I went. Superdrag is only playing in DC, New York, and their hometown of Knoxville, TN before calling it quits for good.

Podcast #19 Available Now!!

If you haven't listened to any of my podcasts yet, I suggest you start with this one. Podcast #19 is dedicated to the band Swervedriver. I interviewed singer/guitarist Adam Franklin for the show, and he discusses his old band, as well as his new solo album and tour, and his plans for the future.

If you don't know about Swervedriver, let this serve as an introduction. They were one of the best. If you're already a fan, then you can enjoy the classic tunes, and learn what Adam has been up to since Swervedriver ended back in '99.

Listen to the show here.

Download the show here.

Subscribe via itunes.

By the way, Dark Stuff readers in Omaha, can see Adam Franklin in concert Tuesday, October 16 at Waiting Room. (tickets)

Wilco TONIGHT and Superdrag on Saturday!!

Sorry for another week of light postings, but I am taking the weekend off to go out of town, and I had a million things I needed to get done before I left. This weekend into next week is an insane time for concerts for me. I'm not sure when I will be able to sleep.

First up, of course, is tonight's Wilco show at The Orpheum here in Omaha. Wilco is always a treat live, and tonight should be no exception. I've only seen one other rock show at The Orpheum (Bright Eyes a couple of years ago), but I loved the sound, the stage, and the atmosphere.

After that, I am traveling to Chicago for Saturday's Superdrag reunion show at The Metro. I saw the band about half a dozen times in their trio form prior to their break up in '03, but never saw the original four-piece version from the 90s. Those early Superdrag albums are something else, though.

I completed my next podcast last night and will be posting it Friday morning before I take off on my trip. The entire show is dedicated to Swervedriver and Adam Franklin. Make sure to listen to this one, as it's one of my best. Also, if you're in Omaha, you'll want to bone up on Adam's music before his show next week at The Waiting Room on Tuesday (tickets). You simply MUST go to this concert. I know it's a busy week. I know it's a Tuesday. I know. I know. That is no excuse to miss this rare appearance from one of the most important British rockers of the 1990s. The show will be so freakin' great. Trust me on this one, friends.

Podcast #18 Available Now!!

I said I would get'er done, and I delivered. Podcast #18 is available now.

Listen to the show here

Download the show here

Subscribe via iTunes

Reason #4325 Why Major Record Companies Are Killing Themselves Off

According to the top lawyer for Sony/BMG Music, if you make a copy for yourself of a CD you purchased, you are stealing that music and breaking the law. "When an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song. Making 'a copy' of a purchased song is just 'a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy'," she said.

She then went on to suggest "that consumers have no right to make backups of the music that they have purchased in CD form or even in download form."

Uh huh. So, according to the music business (emphasis on business), if you rip a purchased CD onto your ipod or desktop, you have just committed theft, could be prosecuted, and are responsible for countless record label executives being unable to feed their families. Feel bad? I didn't think so.

New Bob Mould DVD

Punk rock and alternative legend/icon Bob Mould will be releasing a new DVD on October 9. The disc, Circle of Friends, is a live performance from late 2005 that features material from his bands Hüsker Dü and Sugar, as well as material from his solo career. It is a 23 song set.

Bob will be touring to promote the DVD with a series of "parties" around the country where he will perform a short acoustic set, take part in a Q&A, and screen the movie. Pitchfork has the dates here.

Just for nostalgia purposes, here is a YouTube of Hüsker Dü from their 1987 appearance on the Joan Rivers Show.