Friday January 6, 2006 SGN.org |
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Volume 34 Issue 01 |
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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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the Music Lounge by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A & E Writer |
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| We Are Scientists release explosive debut; Joshua Redman interview coming next week; Arctic Monkeys ready first album and US tour; Franz Ferdinand rocks out on live DVD | |
| We Are Scientists could be 2006's biggest surprise with impressive debut album
2006 could be an amazing year for We Are Scientists. Even this early in the ballgame, I'm ready to declare them one of the best new acts to arrive on the music scene since Franz Ferdinand and The Killers whipped out their first albums two years ago. The New York trio, comprised of guitarist/vocalist Keith Murray, bassist Chris Cain and drummer Michael Tapper, release their debut effort With Love and Squalor on January 10 (Virgin Records). It's a fast-paced, 12-track thrill ride guaranteed to please anyone with a sweet tooth for alternative rock. I'll let you decide for yourself by going to their website www.wearescientists.com. We Are Scientists wowed music listeners in the UK, topping NME's singles chart in late 2005 with "The Great Escape". Stateside, they performed on the Letterman show in mid-December and sold out New York's Bowery Room way ahead of its show date. Press and media, in Europe and the US, will no doubt be grabbing their asses for interviews and features very soon. Speaking of asses, I love the one Murray has parked in the back. He wears black briefs. At least that's what he had on when We Are Scientists shook The Crocodile Café in November. And you know what I really like about these guys, besides their music? The fact that they're not assholes. I can't say the same for other rock bands on the rise. As someone who writes for a Gay readership, it's important that an artist takes their Gay fan base, or potential Gay fan base, seriously. On the night I met We Are Scientists, they were ecstatic about the possibility of having Gay folks support their work. I also like that they're smart (Cal-Poly grads), wickedly funny, very (very!) open-minded and genuinely polite. Plus, Keith Murray has a nice behind. You can purchase With Love and Squalor at Sonic Boom Records beginning Tuesday for just $10.99 or at Easy Street Records for $9.99. Check out the songs "Inaction" and "Cash Cow", if either record store has the CD available at a listening station. We Are Scientists begin a short US tour next week and then ship out to Europe for a series of sold out dates accompanying British act The Shockwaves. They'll definitely return to Seattle this year, probably in late spring or early summer. I'll keep you posted on dates. Interview with Grammy nominee Joshua Redman in next week's issue What does it feel like to be woken up early in the morning and told your colleagues have awarded you a Grammy nomination? You'll find out next week when acclaimed jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman steps into "The Music Lounge" for a one-on-one chat. The tall, talented and very attractive artist will perform four nights at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley beginning Thursday, January 12. Check out this week's "Where It's At" column for more information. This is Redman's first interview with the Seattle Gay News and I think you'll enjoy getting to know him a little better. He and his group, the Elastic Band, are nominated for their latest work Momentum in the category of Best Contemporary Jazz Album for this year's Grammy Awards. Arctic Monkeys ready first CD and US headlining tour, including Seattle show in March Thanks to the Internet, the Arctic Monkeys now have a record deal and are prepping a major headlining tour in the US and Europe. Barely out of high school, these English lads entered the UK singles chart at number one with "You Look Good on the Dance Floor" (SGN's Top 25 Singles/Tracks, 2005), a song initially available only as a download on the band's website. Almost instantly, the Arctic Monkeys began attracting concertgoers from far, far away to their tiny local gigs in Northern England. All this took place without a recording contract. That is, until Domino Records (Franz Ferdinand, The Kills, Four Tet) snatched them up on their label. The result of this joint venture is a debut album entitled Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not slated for a US release on February 21. The Arctic Monkeys swing to Seattle this spring, stopping by The Crocodile Café on March 29. Franz Ferdinand's live concert DVD sure to please diehard fans Here I go again. Another plug for Franz Ferdinand. I'm well aware of this addiction and I'm seeing somebody about it right away. In the meantime, know that the Grammy nominated Scottish quartet released a live double-disc DVD in early December. It's called Franz Ferdinand Live. The first disc is a melding of concert clips, with tracks recorded at various shows during the band's European and US tours. "Take Me Out" was shot at a large outdoor festival in Franz Ferdinand's home country, "Michael" was recorded at London's Brixton Academy, "This Fire" takes place at the Avalon in Los Angeles, "Jacqueline" is from their Glasgow concert and "Tell Her Tonight" was snapped at Pianos in the Big Apple. Disc one includes karaoke videos and a funny roadtrip diary appropriately called "Tour de Franz", in which our boys appear shirtless backstage (amen for that!) and poke fun at each other and their rise to fame in exclusive footage taken at several cities, like Paris and Tokyo. The second disc features two entire shows, in London and San Francisco, and three bonus tracks. If you didn't catch Franz Ferdinand in their numerous visits to Seattle in 2003 or 2004, or you just have to see them again and again (join the addicts club), then Franz Ferdinand Live awaits you at all record stores. |
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