Sparks live photos -- May 16-21, 2008

You can find the whole batch at a set on my Flicker page.

Here are three samples (these action shots have some blurring, but most are in focus -- really!):

The Long Blondes -- "Couples" (2008)

The Long Blondes -- “Couples” (Rough Trade)

The Long Blondes are an interesting proposition. They play precise post-punk influenced pop with incisive lyrics, made all the better when sung by the captivating Kate Jackson. Her clear vocalizing is sexy and smart, as she manages to make bittersweet and cutting observations with both a hint of hurt and the wisdom of a survivor.

There is a tension in the band’s sound that both attracts and repels me. As human as Kate Jackson is, the music has a certain chilly aspect to it that tantalizes. As anyone who’s loved Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” or other mechanistic pop knows, cold and hot make a great combination. But Jackson has just enough reserve to make many Long Blondes tunes a mix of cold and a bit warm. It’s not always the same effect.

I think this is why I liked the band’s debut, but could never get fully excited about it. On its sophomore effort, the band moves even further into the frost, with more pensive tunes, and some tracks which take clear inspiration from sources such as the discofied Blondie and 154-era Wire.

I feel pretty much the same tension this time around, but find this album a little more attractive. What this says about me, I don’t know. So The Long Blondes are now an oddity, as I think I respect the band more than I love it. But there is a lot to respect (or love).

The Blondie vibe gets going right away on the lead track “Century”, which starts with Jackson cooing ethereally like a certain Debbie Harry. The music is pulsing mid-tempo disco and the lyrics are more impressionistic than usual for the Blondes, which fits the airy nature of the tune. This vibe continues on the lightly funky “Guilt”, a great song about a woman with a boyfriend spurning an overly amorous suitor: “And now you’re telling me you want this to work/but don’t say I shouldn’t worry till the morning/‘cos I’m worrying now.”

Even more intriguing are the deeper forays into post-punk. The spartan “Nostalgia” has an overmodulated keyboard rhythm, augmented by a sad piano and light drums. Jackson carries the elegant melody as she details how the past is just a bitter curse: “I may never have a daughter/‘cos I’ve too much to tell her/and far too much to answer for.” Here, the chilly music and her warm voice are an unbeatable poignant combination.

On “Erin O’Connor”, the disco meets the post-punk, sounding like a peppier Portishead. Reenie Hollis’ bass drives the verses, with Screech Louder’s drums following in lockstep. On this track, the texture is what’s different. The hook is classic Long Blondes.

The centerpiece track is “Round the Hairpin”, where white noise, a gurgling bass tone, and dissonant guitar (a la Magazine or Wire) back Jackson, her voice just above a whisper, her articulation perfect and perfectly sexy. Louder’s beatkeeping is particularly creative on this song. The groove set down here is hypnotic and the band just lets the film noir atmosphere build as things simmer and the intensity burns hotter and hotter. Cool stuff.

The Blondes haven’t forgotten the pure pop for you people. With its chanted chorus and big bouncy beat, “Here Comes the Serious Bit” is an out of the box winner. And “The Couples” is sly and playful event though it’s about being lonely. This song is so riddled with good lyrics, I almost don’t know which one to quote. Let me try this one: “I used to come here to have good time/but I can feel like this at home.” The chorus is a killer, with a rising and falling melody, and Jackson rides it for all it’s worth.

Yep, this is a good one. But I find that breaking it down by tracks makes it seem a bit better than the way it flows. It’s like the album is one great cut away from making me a slobbering Long Blondes loving fool. I’m still a bit shy of that, but I’m going to stick around to see if that will happen next time around.

Santogold -- Santogold (2008)

Santogold -- Santogold (Downtown)

It seems appropriate that Santogold’s debut is on the same label that brought us Gnarls Barkley. As much if not even moreso than the Cee-Lo/Dangermouse combo, Santogold ably mixes genres, with a foundation of R & B and hip-hop, but branching out into about any pop style that suits her needs.

Santogold is the stage name for Santi White, a noted songwriter and A & R person who just happens to be a pretty decent singer. Her voice isn’t the gold standard, but she’s really expressive and enjoyable.

She works with a lot of top talent, including producers Diplo and Switch. Although it’s Switch, and not Diplo, who produces “Creator”, there’s no mistaking M.I.A.’s influence on this track. I don’t find White’s take on ‘hip-hop gone world music’ as rich and dense as M.I.A.’s. Still, it sure is catchy and easy to dance to. That’s never a thing.

Her forays into straight reggae are more effective. This especially true on “Unstoppable”, which Diplo produced. The blips and beeps that accent the riddims give this a certain degree of authenticity. Not that authenticity is what this is about. What this is about is a vision of pop as a genre unto itself, without worrying about meddlesome categories.

This is an album that sounds almost like a singles compilation. Whether it’s the 21st Century new wave update of lead track “L.E.S. Artistes”, which is the great lost Missing Persons track, with a more listenable lead singer (this has an indelible hook) or the giddy mid-tempo pop-rock of “Lights Out” or the Two-Tone inflected “Say Aha” (if No Doubt actually sounded like their inspirations), White delivers the goods on track after track.

Although this album came out in the early spring, it sounds like a summer soundtrack.

Adam Marsland -- Daylight Kissing Night (Adam Marsland's Greatest Hits) (2008)

Adam Marsland -- Daylight Kissing Night (Adam Marsland’s Greatest Hits) (Karma Frog)

If you’re a long time fan of Marsland, both as the leader of Cockeyed Ghost and as a solo artist, this disc is an automatic playlist for your iPod. If you haven’t heard him before, this compilation hits a number of the highlights in his career. I’m a fan, and like any fan, I’d probably trade a few personal faves for the a few of the ones Adam chose. Hey, that’s just how it goes.

Marsland is such an enjoyable artist because both musically and lyrically he displays intelligence. He also tries to resolve impulses that sometimes seem contrary. He can rock out with punk rock intensity, yet he is a Beach Boys disciple. He has, on occasion, found a way to meld those two impulses into the same song, which is pretty thrilling.

Marsland also grasps, as well as anyone since The Pursuit Of Happiness’s Moe Berg, that a guy can be sensitive and empathetic and still have the desires that make him a pig (or horndog, if you prefer). Moreover, he has no problem singing about the struggles of an indie musician (check out the hilarious “Big Big Yeah” and “Burning Me Out (of the Record Store)” for proof of that).

In combination, and I know I’ve written this before about Marsland’s music, he is a verbose guy but has found a way to fit his many words with his tunes. There haven’t been too many artists associated with power pop who’ve provided more mental nutrition.

This comp has my two favorite Marsland songs. “The Fates Cry Foul” is a piano driven number, that matches a rollicking Elton John/Ben Folds vibe (I guess those are inevitable comparisons with piano pop) with Beatle-esque touches in the chorus. This song combines the usual clever lyrical obligations with a dazzling arrangement. Marsland and his band pull out the stops, from a brief a capella vocal arrangement at one point, to a great middle eight, and Wondermint Probyn Gregory’s trumpet adds to the majesty at the end.

But I don’t think that Marsland will ever top “Ginna Ling”, a true masterpiece. This song starts buoyantly, with Marsland detailing meeting an excited fan, and really being geeked by it. The bouncy rhythm and chugging guitars match the happiness in the lyrics.

The song takes a turn, and the tune stays the same, but the musicians tamp it down. Marsland starts narrating the lyrics, as he explains how Ginna committed suicide.

Then the music breaks down to quiet levels, and Marsland imagines what he could have done, the energy building up to double that of the way the song started, hitting that great chorus. The intensity builds up as the mixture of joy and frustration is unleashed all at once.

If you haven’t heard this song before, it’s worth the low, low price of $6.49 just for this track. If you’ve had, the photo in the jewel case tray card will really hit you.

This comp has brought some songs back into my radar. “Halo Boy”, from the second Cockeyed Ghost album Neverest, is a driving melodic rocker that just can’t be stopped. Then there’s the mid-tempo “At the Bookstore”, which sports some bluesy lead guitar licks. It is about a guy who is getting blown off by a girl, but he finds comfort hiding out amongst the books and the reading crowd. This is one of a handful of songs that were on the first Cockeyed Ghost album that Marsland, due to recording quality, decided to re-record with his new band. It’s sounds really nice.

Another one of those redone tracks is “Married Yet”, which is a hilarious tale of a guy who was spurned but his lover returns. This is another guitar fueled track, chock full of lacerating lyrics: “Even now at this late date/when I think of your decision to conjugate/your memory still has the power/to hit me full force in the shower.”

Meanwhile, “How Can You Stand It” is a nifty reflective number. If you’re feeling insignificant and down in the dumps, check this one out, as it is based on accepting that nothing is ever perfect. Great stuff.

And there’s plenty more here to get into. Now that he’s summed up his past, I’m looking forward to whatever Marsland will kick out next.

Doleful Lions -- 7 (2008)

Doleful Lions -- 7 (Parasol)

I think the phrase “transition album” is not being used much anymore, perhaps since so few artists make enough albums to reach that point. But the seventh album from Doleful Lions fits the phrase to a ‘t.’ Although Jonathan Scott has made various changes in how he presents his music, none have been so drastic as this one.

And we can thank his brother Robert, who is back in the Lions’ fold, for effectuating this change. Robert has provided electronic backing for Jonathan before, but never before has it been so extensive. Jonathan’s acoustic guitar is less prominent on this album, with Robert providing an array of sounds and effects to back Jonathan’s songs.

Does it work? Most of the time it does. But this new approach hasn’t been perfected yet. That being said, Jonathan’s often mystical lyrics are well suited for the spacey and warm sounds that Robert concocts. The biggest drawbacks are that the sound can be a bit sterile and, at times, the busy backgrounds threaten to overwhelm Jonathan’s angelic vocals. This latter point is critical, because the heart of the Doleful Lions sound is Jonathan’s special voice, childlike and vulnerable, which creates an instant empathy.

What is most encouraging is that despite this shift in sound, the songs are as good as ever. I have to first discuss “Winfield Walker”, which clocks in at just shy of eight and a half minutes. The song immediately gets going, with vigorous electronic drums and icy melodic synth lines. The haiku-like verses have Jonathan singing over lighter percussion and strummed guitar (sounding a bit like New Order) before flowing back into the harder percussion of the intro. The lyrics are exceptionally spare and slowly reveal a very ominous tone that doesn’t quite fit the vibrant and atmospheric music. This song could be from the perspective of a jealous lover or an angry god, asserting the ultimate control: “What destroyed your soul/this blade insane/forever shade/heaven made/today.”

The main components of the song are contrasted with a beautiful breakdown with elegant keyboards suggesting flutes and also a great New Order-ish instrumental break about two-thirds of the way through the song.

This song really shows how fruitful this new sound should ultimately be, as it sacrifices none of the beauty of Jonathan’s songwriting, but casts it in a new light that is extremely attractive to listen to. I especially like the fact that it integrates Jonathan’s guitar playing with Robert’s most impressive sonic soundscape. I think that the guitar should always have a place in Doleful Lions music, though not necessarily on every song. And the same holds true for keyboards. Whatever the song needs, within this configuration, should be used.

After seeing a couple of live performances of “Magic Without Tears” done by Jonathan with just his acoustic guitar, hearing it reimagined in a percolating mid-‘80s fashion was a surprise. But Robert’s additions, particularly with the rhythmic components, turn a fragile and lovely song into an inspiring piece of modern pop. This tune may be as close as Jonathan will come to a positive thinking tune. The song itself has a great build up, with verse after verse chronicling the pitfalls ahead and the chorus finally coming in to save the day.

Okay, the odd percussion breakdown in the middle may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if Alastair Crowley has a Top 40 chart down deep below the surface of the earth, he’s bopping to this right now. He also can sway a bit to “Here Come the Star Nations”, which moves more into the turf of Vince Clarke’s work with Depeche Mode and Erasure, at least in terms of the keyboard sounds coming from Robert.

Even with the markedly more electronic backing (because I should note that it’s not like there haven’t been keyboards and drum machines on prior Doleful Lions efforts), the pastoral side of the band has not been shunted aside. “White Lotus Day” is a lovely song, with the electronics giving it a orch-pop bent. And on “Holy Hill”, Scott’s acoustic guitar moves to the forefront on a song that floats and glides, with Robert providing just the right amount of ornamentation in the background.

If this album has a weakness, it’s that there are too many instrumentals, and a couple of them, especially the opener, “Blazing Sun Rising Over the Mountains of the East”, go on a bit too long. I think this made it a bit harder for me to get into the album at first, as the instrumentals disrupt the flow of the album. This is exacerbated by the fact that three of them come on the second half of the disc.

Still, I’m excited that Doleful Lions is remaining fresh and open to new approaches. As long as Jonathan’s voice doesn’t get lost in the mix of the dazzling soundscapes, I am even more excited about hearing the next album, as the Scott brothers perfect this sound.

Sparks live reviews below/Quick thanks

If you've come to read the Sparks reviews, just scroll down below. Thanks to everyone who's taken a look at them, and extra thanks for all of the positive feedback (and any corrections of mistakes). I'll have a review up soon of the new album, a link to some pictures (review in a week or two, pictures in a few days), along with getting back to reviewing other stuff. I hope many of you will come back to check this page out.

Sparks -- Indiscreet, Carling Academy at Islington, May 21, 2008

This was the most challenging show of the five shows so far, and perhaps of the whole stand. Indiscreet is Sparks' big production, with Tony Visconti aiding them with loads of strings and horns. The band didn't want to disappoint, and there were strings and horns. The end result is that there were more flaws in this show than the others. However, this was certainly offset by the truly great moments.

The strings were supplied by the opener, a Belgian whose name I've already forgotten. He opened his set with a piano rendition of "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" and then expressed his love for both Sparks and the album on tap for the night.

Then he played some honest-to-god chamber pop with a five piece string section (bass, three violins and a cello). I liked the songs and his lyrics were interesting, but his vocals, while not terrible, were the weak link. So the support was alright, but with a better singer might have really been something. But the contribution from the strings was just beginning.

Unfortunately, one member of the sting section seemed to blank out during his moment in the sun. The gent was called upon to provide some fiddling for "It Ain't 1918", and he did his part in the intro. And then he fell silent. He kept raising his instrument slightly, appearing ready to play, but I could see in his eyes that he was utterly confused as to when he was to come in. So the remainder of the song was played sans violin.

This was not a problem, as everyone else was spot on. Leading the way was Russell Mael. Five shows into the residency, and he sounds better and better every night. Moreso than any other night, there were times when I could have closed my eyes and imagined I was hearing the album. Yes, he was that good.

One of those times was on one of Russell's rare solo compositions, "Pineapple". The richness and the fullness of his vocal was astonishing. However, my eyes would have opened during the second verse, because the backing vocals, although they sounded good, were inaccurate. Throughout the song, Jim, Marcus and Steven (McDonald) kept singing "shares are gonna divide/if in us you confide", instead of changing the backing with each verse. Yes, I'm quibbling.

There were other rough patches in a few songs, but none of them were damaging. One song seemed a bit flat, but I think that's more because of the company it was keeping. "The Lady Is Lingering" is a perfectly fine song, but the other songs on the album are so full, it seemed a bit puny in comparison.

The other rockers on the album were outstanding. "Happy Hunting Ground" and "How Are You Getting Home" were both driven by Steven Nistor's fab drumming and, respectively, Jim Wilson's pithy guitar leads and Ron Mael's swinging piano. And "Hospitality On Parade", a number that Sparks has had in their sets in recent years, is still such a great gem, and when the guitars finally kick in, everyone feels like royalty.

But the biggest highlights were the augmented songs. The full string compliment came out for "Under The Table With Her" (correction from when I spaced out and typed "Without Using Hands", see comment below, thanks), and it sounded absolutely brilliant. Ron added to vocals, with a quick turn as the waiter, and then returned to his keyboards looking puzzled at the microphone in his hand. A bunch of high school kids were conscripted to provide brass for two songs. It took them a few measures or so to catch up with "Looks Looks Looks", but once they did, I was smiling like Herbert Hoover (or Hoobert Heever).

Yet all of those paled in comparison to the top performance of the night, the outstanding rendition of "Get In The Swing". Here, the teenage horn section was ready from note one, and the full glory of one of the oddest pop songs to every hit the British charts blossomed in full view. The shifting tempos, the rousing chorus, the hilarious lyrics, played with vim and vigor to spare. As many great renditions as I saw during my five nights, this had to be the tops for me. This is a song that I've always liked, but this time around it became a classic.

The night was concluded with "Gone With The Wind" and after Russell gave his usual thank yous, Ron stepped up to the mike to make some gracious comments. As he was talking about exceeding expectations, someone yelled out, "You sound fucking brilliant" or something along those lines. Ron put the mike down on the drumstand and walked off, until he was encouraged to go back, and he finished off his remarks about what a great experience the fans have this for him.

And this is what strikes me most about this whole shebang. For all of the humor and irony, Sparks has such a high degree of sincerity to what it does . As the band's career has taken more directions than Lombard Street in San Francisco, it has developed a hardcore fan base that has supported them all of the way (with new fans cropping up all the time). This residency is a publicity stunt, but, even better, it's a gift to the fans.

Everyone who is coming to these shows loves Sparks. I think that everyone coming out loves them even more. From that standpoint, these shows couldn't be any less than a rousing success.