Liner Notes

Local: Megadeth, Testament & Exodus take on Club 101

Almost as quickly as it was announced, the “American Carnage Tour” was cancelled, with Slayer backing out. Co-headliner Megadeth and opener Testament had some time on their hands, so they added Exodus into the mix and hit the road. Exodus will kick off the evening with a set list digging deep into a career spanning over two decades. This band was once known as the kings of thrash metal, before Metallica stole their throne. Ironically, Megadeth mastermind Dave Mustane was once part of that very group that dethroned them. Next at bat will be Testament, who, like Exodus, began in San Francisco and helped take the genre to the next level. The evening will close with Megadeth, who released their “Endgame” in September 2009, but will perform their Grammy-nominated album “Rust in Peace” in its entirety, along with select hits from the past quarter century. It is a night that may very well shake Club 101 to its core.

National: The Hotrats, “Turn Ons,” G&D/Fat Possum

Green Day did it as the Foxboro Hot Tubs, XTC spent time as the Dukes of Stratosphear, and now, from across the pond, two out of the three lads known as Supergrass have taken on a new identity as The Hotrats. This might be an answer to their conquering America, since they have been beating on our door for more than 15 years under their old handle and haven’t received their due adulation. The band consists of Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey. Their approach for “Turn Ons” is to basically give the people what they know and then turn it on its ear, flip it over again and shake vigorously. This is a covers album like no other; all the tracks have a fuzzed-out, garage-rock sound, and it doesn’t matter if it’s the Beastie Boys, David Bowie or Squeeze — everyone gets the treatment. It somehow works for them all. Their take on the Cure’s “Lovecats” still features the initial meows but quickly finds a fresh new direction. Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” shares the angst of the original and can do no wrong with the addition of more cowbell. When it comes to the Sex Pistol’s “E.M.I.,” their rendition featuring an acoustic guitar would probably even put a smile across the face of the snarky Johnny Rotten. It doesn’t matter if it’s The Hotrats or Supergrass, it’s all a turn-on to me.

Various Artists, “Ciao My Shining Star,” Shout Factory

Most tribute albums honor a hugely successful artist to recognize their contribution to the world of music. Then there are some that seem to try to help the career of that very same honoree. This one does the latter and also hopes to provide some monetary relief for his personal tragedy. In the mid ’80s, Mark Mulcahy headed Miracle Legion, a band widely recognized to become the next R.E.M. The only problem with that was the public began to turn away, finding them unoriginal. Their following albums found the group reduced to a duo, and Mulcahy was soon critically recognized as a great folk-rock singer. In 2008, his wife died suddenly. To help him provide for his family and continue on with his career as a musician, “Ciao My Shining Star” was orchestrated. It is an all-star benefit celebrating his music, with such heavy hitters as Frank Black of the Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Ben Kweller and Thom Yorke of Radiohead. It also features the very man of whom Mulcahy was accused of being a carbon copy when he came onto the scene in 1984 — Michael Stipe of R.E.M. If you are not familiar with the work of Miracle Legion, not to worry — think of this as one of the best compilations of alternative college-rock giants. If you are familiar, hear these tunes in a brand-new way.

Ike Reilly, “Hard Luck Stories,” Rock Ridge Music

It was more than half a century ago that the slogan “I Like Ike” was heard, and then in 2001, Universal music attempted to resurrect it for a singer-songwriter. It didn’t catch on like it did before, and Ike lost his major-label deal. Unfazed, he pushed on and has built a very formidable catalog of work since the beginning of the decade. “Hard Luck Stories” is his latest release, which was shamefully only made available in a digital format in November. This month, that asinine idea was rectified with the release of a physical CD, with two bonus tracks to make amends. He continues to spin tales with his dark, wisecracking and extremely sarcastic wit. He addresses the economy, the war, and one of his favorite subjects — drugs. He also debuts what might hint at his true feelings about his chosen profession with “Lights Out.” This is a story of an indie rocker trying to sing a song that finally makes a little money, something that truly would happen if this tune were ever to find its way onto national playlists. At least some people seem to be paying attention. With half of Cracker and Waylon Jennings’ offspring Shooter joining Ike, the word seems to be spreading. It’s not tough to hear “Hard Luck Stories” when they sound this good.

Collectibles: David Bowie, “A Reality Tour,” ISO/Sony

I know what you are thinking: Oh, no, another David Bowie live album … haven’t we heard it before? The answer is simply, no, definitely not like this. Well, actually, you may have, if you’re a savvy music aficionado who picked up the DVD that was released of this tour the year after it happened, in 2004. Either way, this is still a necessity for all, especially with the addition of three bonus tracks and the remastering that creates an optimum sound experience. He covers a tremendous amount of ground, from his time spent with Iggy Pop in 1977, performing a track he co-wrote for Iggy’s debut, to his duet with the late Freddie Mercury on “Under Pressure,” to a song he composed for Mott the Hoople, and everything in between. This is elder-statesmen Bowie recreating some of his legendary tunes from the ’70s, as if he were freshly touring off them for the first time, taking the best of his later discs and making them shine like never before. The 33 selections cover Bowie like no other live set has, with a brilliant mix of hits, oddities and new material. It has been a very long while since we have heard anything new from the Thin White Duke; let’s hope the “Reality Tour” isn’t the inevitable reality check that he might just be done making records.

Brian Chozick is owner of Tumblin’
Dice Music. Drop him a line at
tumblindicemusic@netscape.net.

March 2010

Liner Notes by Brian Chozick

Menu of this month's listings, stories and columns

El Paso Scene MONTHLY
This month's listings,
stories and columns

March 2010

Liner Notes by Brian Chozick

Menu of this month's listings, stories and columns

El Paso Scene MONTHLY This month's listings, stories and columns

El Paso Scene MONTHLY
This month's listings,
stories and columns