Cold War Kids at First Tap

This past Thursday, Bear Tooth actually had another band up in Alaska I liked for First Tap! Not to say there is something wrong with Rusted Root or Clinton Fearon or any of the others that followed Ghostland Observatory's performance at November's edition, but those bands are well past their prime. To be fair, as I noted with my friend Kerstin before the show, even the performers of the evening are not exactly on their way to the top.

Cold War Kids are their name, and they shot onto the scene with 2006's Robbers & Cowards. While it wasn't their first release, it was their first to gain them widespread attention. Highlighted by three particularly transcendant tracks in "Hospital Beds", "Hang Me Up to Dry" and "We Used to Vacation", they toured vigorously and gained them a lot of fans.

Including yours truly.

Of course, their follow up release Loyalty to Loyalty in 2008 was received by reviews of the negative nature from all kinds of critics.

Including yours truly.

Now they visited Alaska, supporting their recent EP release Behave Yourself (which is solid, in case you're wondering), and they were...mostly good. I saw them at Sasquatch 2008 before the release of Loyalty, and they were excellent. They brought a lot of energy and vitality, like you'd expect a band who'd just recently hit it big would do.

However, when they came into town on Thursday preceded by Wasilla's Lavoy (a decent local opener for what they are, but as Kerstin and I said it's like they don't know who they are so they switch genres constantly and have no real identity) instead of on the same day as The Cure, Death Cab for Cutie, and Tegan and Sara. Not sure if how much it affected it, but the timing and situation couldn't have helped as the band prepared.

Overall, they sounded very solid. They had a good mix between all of their releases, spreading all of my personal favorite tracks out over the length of the performance to keep me having something to look forward to. Everyone in the band performed their duties admirably, but there is one simple problem with the performance: they have a few great songs, and a lot of mediocre ones.

To me, this led their performance to drag on. They aren't particularly engaging performers, they don't draw us in with their stage presence, and they didn't have an insane stage show like Ghostland Observatory (or The Who at the Super Bowl today, mother of god!). While they sounded just fine, nothing about the evening excelled short of the excellent company with me and the fine brews Bear Tooth provided. Still a good time, but ultimately nothing fantastic.

Cold War Kids are coming to Alaska

To help continue our recent influx of musical talent to Alaska (which have included shows in the past two months from Iron & Wine, The Hold Steady, and Ghostland Observatory), now the illustrious indie rock group known as Cold War Kids will be visiting the Great White North on February 4th for one of Bear Tooth's classic First Tap events.

While I highly doubt I will enjoy them as much as Ghostland (saw them at Sasquatch 2008, they're good but they don't really blow minds like Ghostland does), I can say that there may have never been a better band to pair with a First Tap event. I've frequently described their style of music as "dangerous" and "boozy," and really, you aren't going to get a more boozy locale than the Bear Tooth on a First Tap night. Even bars look at them and say "wow...that's a lot of drinking." I think they'll be a major hit here, and I really can't wait.

Also, bravo to Bear Tooth for bringing another high quality band that actually has legit buzz about them. While you did manage to fit Clinton Fearon (back for the millionth time), Lyrics Born (back again as well), and Rusted Root (another return visit) in between the Kids and Ghostland, in a paraphrasing of Jack Nicholson's character in Mars Attacks, that's still two out of five and that ain't bad. Keep it up Alaska. Maybe you'll keep me around a little longer if you keep me entertained.

Tickets go on sale Monday, November 23rd. Don't miss your opportunity to support good music in Alaska.

Slices of Fried Gold - 9/25/08

I didn't get a chance to do this over the last few days due to tiredness and being occupied with other things, but I wanted to make sure to toss out my two cents on some new releases and a wonderful and ignored favorite. These all come highly recommended from me.

Music: TV on the Radio - Dear Science,

I've never been the level of fan of TV on the Radio as some have. Perhaps it's because I haven't listened to them a lot before. Perhaps it's because they never really were my style until now. Whatever the reason, right now, I love this album. It's been universally praised, but I want to throw my opinion on the pile as well. This is one of the best albums of the year, and it's highly unlikely that it will drop out of my top 10.

It's experimental rock that somehow manages to be catchy, it's somehow on the cutting edge and mainstream. It's everything at the same time. This is a must have for music lovers I feel.

Music: Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty

This album is rather divisive from other opinions I've read, but I'm just an absolutely huge fan of this bands sound. My friend Erik told me he didn't really get why they're a big deal (or something of the sort) and I said I loved them because their music was "dangerous and sexy." I'm not really sure what exactly that means, but I think if you listen to either of their albums you'll understand.

While it may not be another Robbers and Cowards and most reviews may be right about some things ("Avalanche in B" is a pretty bad song for the Kids), it still features the awesome instrumentals and bluesy vocals I love the band for. Until that formula changes and they start singing bubblegum pop, I can't imagine not digging their releases.

Music: David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything that Happens will Happen Today

This album doesn't get released until November 25th (two months from today) but that doesn't stop me from really digging it right now. I never would have checked it out if it weren't for advance reviews, but this album from the former frontman of the Talking Heads and the legendary producer is the best album ever to be released in the gospeltronica genre. Because...you know, there aren't any other entries.

But it's still a damn good album full of fantastic vocals, catchy tracks, and tons of soul baby. Who doesn't need a little of that in their life?

Comics: Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

I've recommended this in here before, but it needs to be said again: Criminal is a criminally under read (heyoooooo!) comic from a legendary team - Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips of Sleeper fame - and it perfectly encapsulates the pulp genre into the sequential art medium.

Also known as, Brubaker spins some great yarns about down on their luck criminal types, the women that love them, and the men that don't exactly, with Phillips doing his standard, perfect for the genre pencils. This is completely and absolutely one of the best five books on the market, and it's first two arcs (and collection of three individual stories) are out in trade paperback form. Plus, it's two issues deep in a new arc about a counterfeiter that's in love with a gangster's girlfriend.

It's sexy and dangerous, sort of like a Cold War Kids album.