MP3: “Hate the Sun” by Lusk
This track has apparently been floating around for years, but it just recently came to our attention. Lusk’s Free Mars is one of our favorite, but tragically unknown, records from an equally unknown project. I remember severely overpaying for a copy of the album on eBay years ago and later realizing how worth it that purchase was. Lusk is a supergroup from the mid-90s comprised of Paul D’Amour (ex-Tool), Chris Pittman (Guns n’ Roses, SexTapes), Greg Edwards (ex-Failure, Autolux), and Brad Laner. Free Mars’ 1997 release was a commercial failure but was nominated for a Grammy for Best Recording Package in 1998 and featured several guest performances, including Danny Carey of Tool. “Hate the Sun” is a song from a four-track EP the band never released. It’s difficult to imagine why, as the track is as good as anything on the brilliant Free Mars. Download “Hate the Sun” by Lusk here or stream it below:
A Perfect Circle to Reunite For “In Its Entirety” Shows This Fall
According to their new Twitter account, Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel will play all three APC albums on consecutive nights at three-night stops to LA, Seattle, Las Vegas, Tempe, and San Francisco. James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) and Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails) will join Keenan and Howerdel on these stops, which will also include an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel on October 27. What this means for a new A Perfect Circle album is unclear. Previous interviews with the never-serious MJK suggest that the band would release songs instead of albums, but Howerdel supposedly has a vault of new tracks ready for Keenan to add vocals to. Keenan also has plans to join his “other” band shortly to add vocals for a new Tool album. New music from A Perfect Circle and Tool is good news no matter how you look at it!
A Perfect Circle – Judith by Hatama
Dan Deacon/Deerhunter/No Age @ Flying W Airport and Pool
As the crowds at All Points West waited in endless lines for a subpar bill, a few hundred lucky fans were treated to the down home amenities of the Flying W Airport and Pool Resort in the ultra-suburban town of Medford, NJ. The weather was perfect, the pool was blue and the tiki bar served ‘em up cold. The stars were aligned, and everything was in place for this to be the show of 2009 . . . then the music started. As a concept, the idea of a round robin concert where bands take turns playing their own songs seemed exciting. Rumors were swirling, and many were under the impression that the bands would collaborate on each other’s songs. R5 Productions, the promoters of the show, even advertised it as such.
We called Deerhunter’s performance last year at the Music Hall in Williamsburg, as well as the astonishing Microcastle LP, as our favorites in 2008. As huge fans of Deerhunter, it was a no-brainer that Fishpork would attend the festivities in Medford, especially after last year’s debacle at All Points West. In all fairness, APW did feature a breathtaking performance by Radiohead. This year’s lineup featured the geriatric-fied Beastie Boys (later replaced by Jay-Z), Tool and Cold Play, and we weren’t ready to spend $100 on a 20-minute Crystal Castles set.
At the Flying W, the problems arose with the incompatibility of the bands’ setlists and discographies, as well as the inaudible and raucous noise by the overrated and overweighted Dan Deacon, who seemed lost without his backing band. Unfortunately, this will most likely go down as the worst show of 2009. A good show exhibits a sense of flow and chemistry. Developing an effective set list is a skill. Songs need to fit together and feed off one another. Three distinctively different bands taking turns playing tracks from three distinctively different music vaults felt forced and unnatural. Upon experiencing the mellow sound of Deerhunter’s title track from Microcastle, the head-pounding, cocaine-induced “Snookered” by Dan Deacon broke down that previous exaltation and had me feeling confused and uncomfortable.
The bands also lacked chemistry with their verbal communication throughout the show. In between a double shot of Deerhunter tracks, Bradford Cox began telling a background story but was interupted by both bands. “This is the part of the show that only the artists enjoy,” joked Dan Deacon. “This is where you play a song, Bradford” was shouted from the No Age stage. At that point, I felt lucky to have only paid $12 for my ticket. It wasn’t until Dan Deacon decided to command his drug-induced followers to march to the parking lot in a single file line that we decided the gimmick was overpowering the music. At that point, I wondered if APW was still serving Longhammer or if Tool would be playing anything new. We left early.
SexTapes: Free Mars Pt. 2?
Chris Pitman, who recently finished co-writing and co-producing Chinese Democracy, has finally released his first new music since Lusk’s Free Mars, a 1997 collaboration with current Autolux mastermind Greg Edwards and ex-Tool bassist Paul D’Amour. Pitman also played synth guitars on Tool’s Aenima. Fans of Lusk, hoping for Pitman to revisit the futuristic pop sounds of Free Mars, may be a bit disappointed. Although SexTapes does contain several tracks that have a similar sound to that record, most similarities begin and end with Pitman’s vocals.
Although Pitman has added texture to the song arrangements, creating a more layered sound that was present in Lusk, lead guitarist Kelly Wheeler and bassist Marko Fox have composed most of the music. Wheeler is noted for playing bass in pre-Jane’s Addiction bands with Perry Ferrell in the 80s, while Fox supplied the vocals for Tool’s “Die Eier Von Satan.” While most of the new music is an acceptable alternative to what you find on today’s rock radio, there are too many bland guitar riffs that scream 80s hair band. It’s there that SexTapes lost me a bit, as I couldn’t help but reach for my out-of-print Free Mars disc.
The album is not a complete waste of time. The opening track, “Medicine Man,” does contain one of the coolest guitar riffs of recent memory. And Pitman’s vocals sound as good as ever. He just has one of those voices that sends chills down your spine. “Trainwreck” contains some heavy bass lines, reminiscence of Tool, and the guitar play is equally interesting. The chorus on “Worklords” is the closest the album gets to Lusk. It all just sounds like it was done before. I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy “Paranoid Freak.” Although the guitars are rather bland on the track, the vocals are pretty entertaining, as Pitman rips some poor schmuck a new one:
MAN.. YOUR.. JUST A..
JUST A PARANOID FREAK
NO ONES OUT TO GET YOU MAN
NO ONE FUCKING CARESI MEAN…. YOU AIN’T GOT SHIT DUDE
YOUR JUST AN IDIOT.. AND YOU SMELL LIKE SHIT
YOU DRINK YOURSELF INTO OBLIVION
AND YOUR A FUCKING DUNCE
I have to call out the band on the track “Crawlspace,” which sounds too similar to Tool during the first minute and does so each time the chorus ends, which wanders off into some kind of Twisted Sister rant. There is no surprise these guys hang out with Tool on regular basis. Although it’s nice to see Pitman deliver his best impersonation of Mayard, I never get the sense that the band has found its own identity. Overall, I was disappointed with what was a highly anticipated release for me. However, I don’t intend to stop listening to the record’s first two tracks anytime soon. Earth to Greg Edwards: release the new Autolux album before I lose my mind!
Nine Inch Nails @ Wachovia Center
I avoid arenas at all costs ever since The Mars Volta played an inaudible set opening up for System of a Down a few years back at the Wachovia Center. Generally speaking, large venues like outdoor festivals and arenas do not produce the sound or intimate setting one desires when seeing your favorite band. Although I still believe in that notion, recent events have made me realize that certain acts can pull it off. My last concert review raved about the sound that Radiohead was able to achieve at their recent All Points West headlining gig. This past Friday, Trent Reznor and company pulled off what I thought was just not possible at the Wachovia Center (and I’ve been there a bunch times).
Fans have been raving about the lights, set lists and sound on Nine Inch Nails’ recent Lights in the Sky over North America tour. I had seen YouTube videos of the lights, read set lists on EchoingtheSound, but was reluctant to believe that good sound was possible in that building. I don’t like to admit it often, but I was wrong. And I wouldn’t expect anyone else to shut me up. Let me just say that sound was mixed to perfection. Although you can’t overcome all of the downfalls of playing in an arena designed for sporting events, it just worked this time. Take notes System of a Down, The Mars Volta and Tool.
On a poor tip I overheard at a parking lot tailgate, we planned to enter the arena at 8:30 in time to hit the general admission floor at 8:50. As we entered I heard the opening riffs of 999,999/1,000,000 and rushed to the gate and entered the floor. It actually sounded so good, we first thought it was the PA system. “What arroagant bastards would play their own songs before a show?” I thought to myself. That was not the case, as an amazing 31-song set list would follow the opener.
The lights were something I’ve never seen used before. And, honestly, I could not explain how they worked if I tried. There are some YouTube videos that highlight some of these techniques but will not do them justice. You simply have to experience this for yourself. I’m posting one of those videos here anyway:
My favorite was when the lighting tech used a flood light to erase the images on a screen that is dropped in front of the stage. It makes me wonder how much money all of these lighting rigs cost.
The setlist was as satisfying as any NIN show I’ve been to (and I’m in double digits now). I’ve never heard Down In It played live before, and it was certainly a treat. Trent introduced it, saying,”This is an old song, a really old song.” Down In It was the first NIN single ever released. It came out in 1988 and preceded the 1989 release of debut album Pretty Hate Machine. Another rare track that surprised the crowd was Reptile. From what I can remember, it received the loudest cheers, both as the song began and after it was finished. Several songs from the Ghosts I-IV album were performed in chunks, highlighted by Trent playing a giant xylophone and new bassist Justin Meldel-Johnsen (formerly of Beck) on stand-up bass.
The new players represent the strongest overall lineup of the live band. Robin Finck plays a much meaner lead guitar than Aaron North did. North’s acrobatic antics on stage lost their novelty rather quickly, and Finck’s presence is menacing. Meldal-Johnsen is better known as being Beck’s bassist for years and looks a bit strange with his super-fro dyed black. However, he has a lot more energy than Jeordie White (formerly of Marilyn Manson) presented in the last incarnation. And what can you say about Josh Freese. This guy is on something. It’s not because of his physique but his relentless intensity. Some of the songs played on this tour have some complicated percussion arrangements that not many drummers would be able to pull off so effortlessly night after night. For now, I will forgive the fact that Josh is also the studio drummer for the Inidigo Girls, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, and Miley Cyrus.
Trent looked awkwardly buff as usual and should definitely be tested for steroids. He’s sporting a dark beard now, which could only explain that he is hard at work on Year Zero 2 and the HBO project (and doesn’t have time to shave). He was more talkative than usual and described how he had tried to escape Pennsylvania for 18 years as a youth and now finds himself back where he started. He went on about how at the beginning there were all dudes at his shows, and now he notices more chicks (which I’ve heard him say at least three times before). He also mentioned that he talks too much and will stop at future shows.
Overall, the show was great, especially considering the size of the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. It’s interesting to see how the theatrical side of NIN live, as well as the lineup, has evolved over the years. And it’s difficult to imagine how Mr. reznor will possibly top these concerts. Then again, I remember saying that two years ago. Here is the full set list:
1. 999,999 [Intro]
2. 1,000,000
3. Letting You
4. Discipline
5. March Of The Pigs
6. Head Down
7. The Frail
8. The Wretched
9. Closer [The Only Time Breakdown]
10. Gave Up
11. Me, I’m Not
12. The Great Destroyer
13. Ghosts 5
14. Ghosts 17
15. Ghosts 19
16. Piggy [Ghosts]
17. The Greater Good
18. Pinion [Interlude]
19. Wish
20. Terrible Lie
21. Survivalism
22. The Big Comedown
23. Ghosts 31
24. Only
25. Down In It
26. Head Like A Hole
ENCORE
27. Echoplex
28. Reptile
29. God Given
30. Hurt
31. In This Twilight