A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed

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Joliet Jake

October 17, 2013

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The D.C. Scene's New Generation: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Birthday Girl

I think some folks are, rightly, going to check out Birthday Girl because Mabel Canty's father is Brendan Canty (Rites of Spring, Fugazi, The Messthetics, etc.), or because Isabella MacKaye's dad is Alec MacKaye (The Faith, Ignition, The Warmers, Hammered Hulls, etc.). But people are going to stay with this band because the music those two make with drummer Tess Kontarinis is sharply realized and emotive. What's here on the band's self-titled debut isn't so much the sound of a new generation of harDCore , as it is that of the heyday of college rock . Less Beefeater and more Bettie Serveert is what I'm saying. Opener "Run the Bath" revs up and cools down in a manner not entirely unlike certain Nirvana songs, or the fuzzy stuff from the early years of Pavement, while "House of Cards" and "Check Up" marry Mabel's warm vocals up with riffs that punch these melodies into their own unique space. There's hints here of pio...

Versus To Headline Philippines Benefit In NYC This Saturday

I kept wondering when/if Versus was going to do a benefit for the Philippines after Typhoon Yolanda and now they are. According to Brooklyn Vegan , they are planning a big gig at Shea Stadium in NYC this Saturday (January 11, 2014). Versus are a fantastic live band. I saw them at the old Black Cat in D.C. a bunch of times and they were consistently one of the best acts I've ever seen. Richard Baluyut and Fontaine Toups and the rest of Versus have a solid back catalog of tunes -- and maybe some new stuff? -- and I wish I was back in America to see this gig on Saturday. Details on the concert are here . Versus has a Facebook page and it's here . There's a Facebook page for the concert and it's here . And here's a reminder of how much you love Versus. Here's an amazing live cover of a classic from The Pretenders as done by Versus with special guest Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo. This rocks! Tattoed Love Boyz (featuring Ira Kaplan) from VERSUS on Myspace ...

How Ghosts Affect Relationships: 4AD Announces Massive His Name Is Alive Box Set! Plus My Interview With Warren Defever

In what looks like the most spectacular reissue news of 2024, the label 4AD has announced a 6-LP box set from His Name is Alive. Collecting the first three His Name is Alive albums -- 1990's Livonia , 1991's Home Is In Your Head , and 1993's Mouth by Mouth -- the set will contain a wealth of rarities and bonus cuts. How Ghosts Affect Relationships: 1990-1993 by His Name is Alive will be released on September 27, 2024. A limited edition of 1,000, with a signed print and poster and book, this set will go fast so I would urge you to pre-order now . I've been a fan of His Name is Alive since Livonia , and I've also tried, over the last few years, to cover all the reissues of the pre- Livonia material. You can find my reviews here , here , here , and here . I interviewed Warren Defever about those early pre- Livonia His Name is Alive recordings a few years ago and you can read that interview here . But today, I sat down to talk to Warren Defever again, sp...

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