The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 377

Alkaline Trio with support from Together Pangea and Ogikubo Station
Agora Theater, Cleveland
8/9/18

Last Thursday evening I had the pleasure of seeing Alkaline Trio headline a show in support of their upcoming album Is This Thing Cursed? (which comes out on 8/31). I walked into the venue (the newly renovated Agora Theater in beautiful Cleveland, Ohio) a couple minutes after 8 pm and Ogikubo Station had already taken the stage. I had never heard of Ogikubo Station prior to them being announced as a supporting act for this tour, but after a (very little) bit of research, I found that it's a new band which includes Maura Weaver of the band Mixtapes (of which I'm also somewhat unfamiliar with). They're signed to Asian Man Records which has strong ties to Alkaline Trio as that label released their first two studio full-lengths (1998's Goddamnit and 2000's Maybe I'll Catch Fire) along with their 2000 self-titled compilation album of past material. Ogikubo Station is probably best characterized as indie rock. They released a 6 song self-titled EP last year and they have their debut length coming out next Friday (8/24) so be sure to look out for that! I was unfamiliar with all of their original material, but I did enjoy their 30 minute long opening set. The highlight of it for me was their excellent cover of Modern English's I Melt With You.

Next up was Together Pangea - another band that I was completely unfamiliar with prior to this tour announcement. They're a punk rock band based out of Los Angeles and they've released 4 full-length albums and a handful of EPs. They were good, but I wasn't familiar with any of the songs that they played. I typically try to check out music by the opening acts prior to a show, but I just didn't get around to it in this instance. Anyway, I will definitely have to go back and check out some of their catalog! They ripped through (I believe) 14 songs in about 40 minutes. Here's the setlist from their St. Louis show 3 nights prior to the show I attended: together PANGEA Setlist at The Pageant, St. Louis I believe it's likely the same or at least very close to what I saw!

After about a 25 or so minute break, Alkaline Trio took the stage. They ripped right into Good Mourning's We've Had Enough and the crowd ate it up. They began their show with a black backdrop featuring their logo (the first picture below) and when they got to the fourth song in their set, Blackbird (the lead single off their upcoming album) that backdrop fell to give way to another backdrop. The new backdrop was the cover of their upcoming album (please see the second picture below!). The new song sounded terrific live. A little bit later in their set they had a nice three song stretch of older material with Cringe - She Took Him To The Lake - Clavicle. Everyone in the crowd was loving every second of it. After that three song stretch, they played another new one - the title track off their upcoming album. I had heard it prior to the show (that and Blackbird are both currently streaming) and while I enjoyed it live, I think that I prefer Blackbird. A few songs later in their set they played one last new song and it was titled Demon And Division. That was probably the song that the crowd was most unresponsive to as it hadn't been released yet. It sounded fine, but I don't really remember much from it. I think that I would have preferred another song in its place, but I suppose I'm just nitpicking!

They were 15 songs into their set without playing a single track from From Here To Infirmary or Agony & Irony, but that changed when they played From Here To Infirmary's Crawl and Agony & Irony's I Found Away back-to-back (and then played From Here To Infirmary's Private Eye immediately following). They closed out their regular set with fan favorite This Could Be Love which again had the crowd going nuts.

After leaving the stage for about a minute, they came back for a 3 song encore. The first song in the encore was Fine (the only song they played from This Addiction all night). They followed that up with Warbrain (off 2007's Remains compilation and originally from Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1) and then closed their set with the fan favorite Radio which had the entire crowd singing along.

I thought that Matt and Dan both sounded great and they seemed to be having a lot of fun during their 85 minute set. There wasn't a lot of banter in between songs, but that was fine by me. Their regular drummer, Derek Grant, was not with them in Cleveland (and I believe all tour) and was replaced by Jarrod Alexander. To be honest, I didn't notice much of a difference with Derek not there, but I've only seen them live once before (in 2008 at the spectacular tour with Rise Against, Thrice, and The Gaslight Anthem).

All in all, it was a very fun night! They have quite an extensive discography and I thought they did a pretty good job of covering each of their full-lengths. I would have liked to hear at least one song off their 2000 compilation album and maybe another song or two from From Here To Infirmary, but I really have no major complaints! Here's their setlist from the Cleveland show: Alkaline Trio Setlist at Agora, Cleveland

This band has been going for over 20 years and thankfully they aren't showing any signs of slowing!

 

Great review mate, sounds like a nice varied set. I’ve always found Alk3 can be hit and miss live so I’m glad you had an awesome show.

The other main band member in Ogikubo Station (other than Maura) is Mike Park who’s actually the founder/owner of Asian Man. So he really does have long running ties with Alk3 and really helped them (and a number of other Chicago bands) back in the day. Its great to see them taking OS out on tour to help get their name out their a bit

Also definitely check out Mixtapes if you want some fun emo tinged pop-punk. Mike Parks solo material is pretty great too if you want punk singer-songwriter stuff.

I’ve not heard of Together Pangea but it sounds like my kind of thing so I’ll have to check them out.

 

I'm seven listens deep now. Definitely appreciating this. Adding it to the pile of albums from this year where I really like some of the tracks and some of them don't do much for me. "Life on Earth," "Don't Give In," "A Dark Switch," and "A Youth Written in Fire" are probably the biggest standouts for me.

 

I really like this Neighbourhood album from this year. Listening to it again right now and it's got such a great vibe. Pretty confident it'll end up top 10 this year.

Hope no one minds that I've decided to use this thread to randomly comment on stuff I'm listening to since I believe that would be off-topic in the music chat thread

 

"A Dark Switch" and "Life on Earth" are my top two. "A Dark Switch" was so unexpected and I dig that kind of sound a lot, so it was pretty immediate for me. "Don't Give In," "Heal Me," "Empress," and "A Youth Written in Fire" a big favorites that took a couple listens, but they really grew on me. "Life and Death" has some really nice vocal flourishes that I enjoy. "Soon" and "Wild Horses" took a while for me to enjoy, along with "What If This Is All the Love You Ever Get."

 

Last week I was paired with @Nate_Johnson and he recommended Thin Lips' 2018 album Chosen Family. I haven't heard the record or heard of the band before, so this was totally new to me.



Thin Lips is a three-piece Philadelphia band consisting of vocalist and guitarist Chrissy Tashjian, her brother Mikey Tashjian on drums, and Kyle Pulley on bass. The album wastes no time making its mission statement, as the first track "Chosen Family" is a monologue from Chrissy Tashjian about her experience realizing and coming to terms with being gay:

I remember having a dream about a naked woman
And I ran downstairs crying, "Mom I think I'm gay"
Like 5 or 6, I was little
And she said "You're so young, you couldn't possibly know that"
I was comforted by that because I didn't want to go to hell
I was very afraid for my mortal soul, so much and so often
But once I finally settled into it, pushing my own personal boundaries
And unlearning all this like hateful stuff
Queer to me means like boundary pushing and love and community and relationship
And chosen family

This raw track leads right into the power pop of "Gaslight Anthem (The Song Not the Band)" which is an excellent introduction to the sound that carries throughout the album. Upbeat, chunky guitars, playful bass, catchy pop melodies that remind me of Weezer at times, and Tashjian's vocals that are expressive while also sounding lo-fi. There is a shaky quality to the vocal that comes from the mixing of the harmonies, as several vocal parts with their own little timing and tonal idiosyncrasies are layered on top of each other. As the vocal parts phase in and out of sync with one another, there are moments of tension and chaos as it seems like everything could fall apart at any moment. But it also gives a live and authentic quality to the performance that makes it easy to connect with these songs. It sounds celebratory and informal, like a group of friends shouting along and having a blast. There's a confidence that comes from playing loose, but knowing that everything will be held together. That looseness is part of the appeal of this album.

"A Song for Those Who Miss You All the Time" is up next, and it is my current pick for favorite track on the album. The bouncy main guitar riff is undeniably infectious, and the buoyant bass performance stands out. Lead guitar lines jump in here and there to add to the fun. "Smoking's for Quitters" utilizes some piano and has great dueling guitar parts. I loved listening to this song with headphones on and hearing the differences in the hard-left and hard-right panned guitars which were rarely playing the same thing but always complimented each other well.

The lyrical content throughout the album is mostly about the struggle of acceptance and interpersonal relationships. I don't want to presume meaning, but it seems likely after the opening monologue that many or all of these tracks are related to Tashjian's personal struggles and experiences as a gay woman. "South America" seems the most autobiographical out of the bunch, as Tashjian states "Well, I've done a lot of touring / But dating other people was boring / I don't really blame you if you're tired of my shit" before launching into the song's infectious refrain of "Now you'll go to South America with a woman that you only met last month." The song ends with a passage that seems like it was plucked directly from a one-on-one conversation or argument: "Let's hear the line / The one that goes, "Chris, I've never seen you try" / The line / The one that goes, "All I've done is try.""

"I Know That I'm the Asshole" wrestles openly with self-doubt and insecurity while providing another melody to sing along to. "What's So Bad About Being Lonely" sounds like a rallying cry for a generation. When I heard the song open with Tashjian singing out that titular question, I could immediately picture a room full of fans screaming along to the line, a la "Let's get fucked up and die" at any Motion City Soundtrack show. "Sex Is Complicated" is another cheerful-sounding song that contends openly with exactly what the title suggests.

"So Stoned" deals with the fallout of the end of a relationship, and contains some details that ground the song in reality. Tashjian asks her ex to "Pack your things in boxes that you just unpacked to live in our home / Unhang all your pictures, while I untell all our friends the lies you told." Getting back to the instrumental aspect of the album, "It's Hard to Tell the Difference When You're Afraid of Literally Everything" has a nice little rock guitar riff that slides up and down and makes the track stand out from the rest of the album. "What If I Saw You on the Street" is also unique, with a fast pace and driving drumbeat. Closer "The Kate Escape" paints the picture of being in a relationship with someone who is going through a personal struggle. As is the case throughout this album, the song is a pleasant listen while the lyrical content plainly and descriptively confronts some difficult subjects. I would love to see an article or interview with Tashjian that provides some more insight into the meaning and intentions behind these tracks. She obviously has a lot to express and exorcise in these songs, and it makes for an honest and engaging listen. I would definitely recommend this one if you are into indie pop. Thanks for a great rec, @Nate_Johnson! Glad I didn't miss this one.

 

I'm starting to come around on "Heal Me" and "Empress." Those two tracks were just kind of there for a while, which made it hard for me to get into the album since they sit at tracks 3 and 4. "Wild Horses" is starting to click too.

"What If This Is All the Love You Ever Get" seems like it should be so epic, but it never really does anything. I always want it to build up to a big climax! Seems like a wasted opportunity in some ways. Still haven't been able to get much out of "Soon" either.

This brings up a larger point that I think about a lot (and I know this conversation has been had a million times before), which is that many of us (myself included) don't take the time to properly appreciate albums anymore. Like, if this was an album by some random band I'd never heard of before, I would have probably listened to it once and then forgot about it because it didn't hook me immediately. But since it's a band I used to love, I gave it a handful of listens and ended up connecting with most of it. Especially those of us here who love discovering new music, the unlimited access to new stuff makes it easier to dismiss something before giving ourselves time to appreciate it. I sometimes wonder how many of my favorite albums would have even become meaningful to me if I grew up in this climate. I don't know that I have, or would even necessarily want, a solution to this "problem," I just think about how different it is from the simpler times when we would purchase one CD and listen to it 50 times until we basically enjoyed it by brute force haha. And I wonder if we're now missing out on potential deeper connections with albums that don't immediately grab us.

Anyway. Someone help me back up on my porch.

 

I'd get the vinyl but shipping is US only at this time.

 

I'll order it for you if you come pick it up ;)

 

@Patterns in Traffic There’s definitely a ton of records that I hold dear to my heart, that if I hadn’t spent lots of time with I’d never have got into them as much as I did.

Off the top of my head I’d have never gotten into Deftones White Pony, Tool’s Lateralus or Type O Negatives Bloody Kisses if I hadn’t have bought the albums and listened to them until they clicked.

Same goes for some genres If I hadn’t have picked up albums on a whim from a second hand record shop back in the day I probably wouldn’t be as into that 90’s US alt rock radio stuff like 3rd Eye Blind, Goo Goo Dolls, Gin Blossoms. Or stoner rock stuff like Kyuss and Clutch.

 

Sorry for the late (and brief) review.
Last Week I got Milk Teeth-Vile Child from @SamLevi11


First, a preface; I dug this record quite a bit in the time I've had with it during my super hectic week. I am for sure going to be spending some more time with it.
This album is all over the place. Tracks shoot nonchalantly from genre to genre. One minute you're listening to a fast-paced grungy jam and the next is a 90's emo tinged slow burner. This makes for a diverse yet uneven listening experience, in my opinion better enjoyed in small doses.
All the tracks are earworms in their own right, but they don't seem to make a cohesive album. It's a fun, disjointed effort by a band who doesn't seem to know what they want to be when they grow up. There's lots of potential to be found here, it just needs to be focused and fine tuned a bit more.

RIYL: 90's emo/hardcore, The Distillers, Hole, Charly Bliss, Veruca Salt
Standout Tracks: Brickwork, Swear Jar (again), Leona, Cut You Up

 

A very fair assessment. I find the record enjoyable and a grower, but I do think it's a bit hit and miss.

Brickwork, Burger Drop, Brain Food, Swear Jar (Again), Kabuki and Crows Feet are fantastic, but the rest of pass me by. They released a series of EP's last year that included some of their catchiest material yet (Owning Your Okayness), but I miss the rawness of their early material like "Vitamins".

They're a band I think have a ton of potential, and Becky is a fantastic front woman. They also rip live. I'm just waiting for that breakout record that hopefully will come this year.

 

I’m really glad you enjoyed it! It’s such a fun album.

 

Great review mate, I agree it’s a bit all over the place that album but I find it still has such a charm to it. Definitely check out their EPs from last year that Sam mentioned, they’re really good a lot better produced and definitely more cohesive. Saying that I still love that debut and can’t wait to see where they go next. Also echo Sam’s comments isn’t that they’re so good live.

 

I saw them supporting Nothing (before it was apparent that they suck as humans) in Birmingham and they stole the show. Then they played a small pub of like 50 people just a few days later and ever since I've followed them closely. They are in the studio now with view to an album so I'm pretty excited.

Anyone wanting to check them out, try these:

 

Thanks for the videos Sam! This band is fantastic and I’m going to check out the album right now. I hear so much Nirvana and I totally agree on the similarities to Veruca Salt. Eight Arms to Hold You is such an amazing album.

 

Haven't Milk Teeth just lost their guitarist? I hope it doesn't affect them too much.

They were fantastic supporting Creeper last year.

 

Em from Nervus is filling in for them at the moment, I imagine they'll just look to recruit a permanent guitarist sometime in the next few months. Still wonder what happened with Chris as it was all very sudden and the statment on it was well vague.

Yeah they were really good on the Creeper tour, that's what made me such a fan. Saw them quite a few times last year due to various support slots and festival appearances.

Also I'll echo Nates recommendation on the Veruca Salt album, their reunion album was pretty good too for a comeback record.

 

I've never heard Veruca Salt, the only factoid I have about them is that Stacy Jones from American Hi-Fi played drums for them at one point. The same sentence applies to Letters to Cleo. Maybe it's time to expand my knowledge.

 

Letters To Cleo had some pretty cool tunes too, Aurora Gory Alice is probably their best to start with (and it has the belter of a track Here and Now on it). Their cover of I Want You To Want Me from the 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack is fantastic too.

 

Yeah, they kicked Chris out, and it seems like he did something really dodgy. They've tweeted that legally and morally they can't say anything due to other people being affected and stuff, but they seem incredibly pissed at him.

 

They appeared in the movie along with Save Ferris which is pretty cool as well!

 

I wanted to watch Save Ferris at Slam Dunk festival this year but annoyingly they clashed with someone else that I wanted to see (Edit: I just checked it was when Creeper killed it on the main stage in Birmingham). As you all can probably guess by now I most things 90's.

 

@anonimito's other recommendation for me is:

Hidden Hospitals: Liars (2018) MSTATEMENT



Hidden Hospitals are a rock band from Chicago that are fronted by ex-Damiera member, Dave Raymond and this is their sophomore release. Musically, they are nice blend of alt rock mixed with electronic elements that bring to mind acts like Muse, Mutemath, Mew and Kid A era Radiohead. I had never heard of the band prior to this but this album is supposedly a stylistic shift away from their previous album, Surface Tension, that was more straightforward alt rock/pop punk/prog rock. The pop punk aspect of their sound is still palpable but is not front and center. Actually, the most accurate description of their sound is in line with Cecil Frena's album, The Gridlock. I say this because the album just has this happy and lighthearted electronic feel to it throughout. Don't mistake that for poppy dance music because it is the perfect mix of light and dark. Expanding on this a bit, this is another album that demands the use of headphones because the electronics give it an atmospheric feel. I just love how the electronics put you in this swirling, almost dream like state. It feels so simplistic yet you find something new to appreciate every time you hit play. When the band brings in guitars, I love how they are fuzzy and have an almost grungy feel to them. On songs like Typecast, the band turns down the electronics and ramps up the angst, reminding me a lot of the band Trust Company. David's vocals actually remind me a lot of their vocalist, Kevin Palmer, in how it is almost "airy" or "breathy" and feels very warm and comforting. Closing number, The Weeds, is the perfect example of their overall sound and might be my favorite song on the album and the one I would have people listen to in order to test the waters.

This is another fantastic album from @anonimito and if you are a fan of any of the bands I mentioned in the review, give it a listen. I will definitely be spinning this for some time and can't wait to see where it ends up on my EOTY list.



Favorite Songs:
Smile & Wave
Better Off
Pulling Teeth
Typecast
The Weeds


RIYL:
Muse
Mutemath
Mew
Kid A era Radiohead
Cecil Frena
Trust Company

 

This week I was paired with @Larry David and was given the album Disappear Here by Bad Suns


I was a little familiar with this band as I had listened to their previous album Language & Perspective. I remember being kind of bored by that album, but Disappear Here was really good! I listened to it on my drive in to work today and this album felt like a really good summer album. The opening song, which is the title track, grabbed my attention right away and the rest of the album kept my interest the entire time. I'm definitely going to go back and listen to their first album now that I've listened to this one. The strange thing to me is that this band is on Vagrant Records! Maybe it's been a while since I checked out their band roster but this doesn't really seem like a Vagrant band to me. It seems that the album did pretty well when it came out in 2016, but I'm left wondering if they were maybe on a major label if they would be a bigger band?? Nothing against the record company but if this album came out this year I'm thinking it would be huge. Hopefully they are working on a new album at the moment. I'm very interested to see what this band does next, because I think they could be very popular.
Thanks @Larry David for recommending this album to me this week. I really enjoyed it!