…From
The Stage
Always a favorite of “Moving In Stereo,”
The
Figgs returned for its annual
December run in New York. Breaking out long-ignored
favorites like “Step Back, Let’s
Go Pop” and “Favorite Shirt,”
the trio gave its fair share of surprises
to the capacity crowd at Cake
Shop. 2006 is expected to
bring a followup live album, Continue
To Enjoy The Figgs, Volume 2, from
Pete, Pete, and Mike, in addition to another
self-produced studio album…
A quartet featuring
ex-members of This
Year’s Model,
SpeedSpeedSpeed
plays loud and proud rock & roll. Slotted
in the middle of a five-band billing at
the Smithtown
Masonic Temple, fans of Shellac
and Sparta
should love the mix of frantic vocals, harmonized
guitar riffs, and the low-end-driven rhythm
section that makes up SpeedSpeedSpeed. If
all their sets are as moving as this one
had been, this is a must-see group… |
|
| |
|
Since
Moving In Stereo: Volume hit browsers, shelves,
and tables around the world, a lot of worthwhile
and attention-worthy releases have reached
the office CD player, including: |
Ian
Love
Ian Love
(Limekiln) |
|
|
|
Valeze
Valeze
(Valeze.net) |
|
Last
Crack
Burning Funkhouse Live
(Rökker) |
|
|
|
Comet
Gain
City Fallen Leaves
(Kill Rockstars)
|
|
Tangiers
The Family Myth
(Frenchkiss)
|
|
 |
Back onto the
indie-circuit after a few ill-fated years with RCA
Records, Cave
In has wasted little time. Recently
bringing Converge
drummer Ben
Koller
into the fold, the Boston group has returned
to Hydra
Head Records, releasing “Perfect
Pitch Black” this past fall. Not staying out
of the studio much otherwise, a cassette-single
– as only available on-tour – was also
put together, as featuring Koller. Headlining at
The Knitting
Factory, Cave In contributed a set
that showcased little of the aggressive space-rock
from “Jupiter” and “Antenna,”
and instead focused on the metallic sounds of their
latest full-length. And as a sign of approval, some
moshing was spotted towards the front of the stage.
While a powerful show, many seemed to hope that
the next tour will bring more from the aforementioned
albums… |
Same great NYC venue a few nights later,
Milwaukee’s own Beatallica
came through town on the first cross-country tour of
its five-year existence. Playing songs by The
Beatles as they would hypothetically be
done by Cliff
Burton-era Metallica,
“And Justice For All My Loving,” “Blackened
The U.S.S.R.,” and “Hey Dude” were
three of more than a dozen songs performed. Clearly
playing to both devout followers and newbies who weren’t
yet in on the joke, frontman Jaymz
Lennfield alternated between his James
Hetfield-modeled,
beer-swilling persona and his down-to-earth self, explaining
the concept behind Beatallica. Those looking to get
a better idea of what the group is about can download
two albums at no cost at http://www.beatallica.org.
…From The Screen
Steve Perry
hasn’t been in the fold for close to 10 years,
but through Sony
Music comes the release of the new Journey
DVD, “Live In Houston 1981.” A set-list
largely based on the then-newly-released “Escape”
album, the classic lineup of Journey hadn’t yet
written “Separate Ways,” but did have “Don’t
Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,”
and “Any Way You Want You It” in its repertoire.
If the concert looks familiar to you, it may be because
you originally caught it when it aired on a then-new
MTV…
Also on the tip of classic rock bands
using replacement members, KISS
has chronicled its 2004 summer run with “Rock
The Nation Live.” Several years after its series
of farewell tours, the lineup featured on “Nation”
does not contain Ace
Frehley or Peter
Criss, but does have Tommy
Thayer and Eric
Singer as hired guns in the original guitarist
and drummer’s prerequisite makeup. Featuring 20
songs in total, this two-disc set should provide some
insight to long-term fans with behind-the-scenes features
like “The Dressing Room” and “The
Meet & Greets.” Using innovative technology,
viewers are also treated to Powervision – should
they want to utilize that bonus feature – which
shows the concert from each band member’s perspective
on seven songs. Fans of the early KISS catalogue also
ought to enjoy the fact that this title only includes
three songs from the 1980’s discography…
Still out on the road in support of “Angel
Of Retribution,” Judas
Priest, too, has a concert DVD to tout.
While a die-hard may complain of this home video’s
lack of extras or any footage beyond the concert itself,
this Rhino
title does showcase the band in top form at Budokan,
during its Japanese run in 2004. While the song selection
is missing “Heading Out On The Highway”
and “United” – the latter which is
briefly heard over the credits – it does include
a good number of tracks from “Retribution”
alongside all the expected staples. Rob
Halford can still hit the high notes,
Glenn Tipton
and K.K.
Downing can still pull off the double-guitar
leads, and yes, the infamous motorcycle makes an appearance…
Music
Video Distributors keep pumping out interesting
videos, and “Under Review: 1973-1980” is
an one that specifically ought to interest intense followers
of Queen.
Packaging rare live and studio footage with interviews
and “independent review and criticism” from
top U.K. journalists, this one is for the music geeks.
Same goes for MVD’s “Too Hot To Handle:
1969-1993,” which gives UFO
its due as an influential force on the hard rock circuit.
If you have news
to report for the next edition of Moving In
Stereo, press releases
and all other correspondence should be sent to darren.paltrowitz@gmail.com.
© 2005 –
Column used with permission from Darren Paltrowitz.
All right reserved.
| MIS
Volume 21
Contest Giveaways
The
following albums will be
given away to readers of
Moving In Stereo:
|
deSol
deSol
(Curb) |
|
Nellie
McKay
Pretty Little Head
(Columbia) |
|
The
Exploders
The Exploders
(Rubber) |
Three
winners, one CD per person,
will be selected at random. |
|
|
