MGOC: Relient K (orig aired 3.02.07)
hey the gang from canton, ohio was on tv again with their performance on my birthday earlier this year.
their photo fell out, so here’s another. enjoy.
Archive for June, 2007
MGOC: Bayside (orig. aired 2.27.07)
review from back in the day
did you get their cd at Target? no? me neither.
MGOC: Jonny Lives! (orig. aired 2.21.07)
why is my neck sweaty?
“fools like us could live like kings”
yeah they could
MGOC: Explosions in the Sky
check it out if you missed it.
my first Conan review, and one of my top five favorites of all time. You know a show is good when you can like remember what the band members were standing, how they changed postures as they played. I’ve listened to this song bout a mill on the bus. It has become a daily ritual rainscreen for when the weather is cruddy. And it often is.
MGOC: The Apples in Stereo (orig. aired 2.14.07)
song performed: “Energy” from the album New Magnetic Wonder
conan’s reaction: “that was great *shakes bass hand* excellent job *shakes rob’s hand* thank you very much *shakes guitar 1 hand* thank you sir. the apples in stereo. very nicely done. we’ll take a break. we’ll be right back. stick around erebady *taps Rob on shoulder and shakes his hand again, reaches back for keyboard* ”
since I’m catching up here (backwriting if you will), this may not make much sense, but I’m declaring a back to basics. I’ve ridden of the categories “the band”, “the performance”, and “other notes” since I figure that most people who read this are not here for a music appreciation lesson, but rather for a bit of bunny cotton candy jerky breath mint teriyaki inhaler spray.
oh joy the apples are here!!! don’t you love apples? They are good for your teeth and eyes, and until I saw this performance (back in naam) The Apples in Stereo were a total psychadelic chamber in my brain. I think I was introduced to the band from “Signal in the Sky” on the PPG’s Heroes and Villains soundtrack. from there it was on to finding power songs like “Strawberryfire” and “Stream Running Over” and I was sold. This is a band to dig - they make Denver cool as Golden Colo., their part of the genius elephant six crew, and well…they were on the PPG soundtrack.
so forgive me when I admit my first reaction was - “this is the apples! frick!” Robert Schneider is a tad shorter and stocky than I had pictured. I also pictured a female singer, since the odor tunes I’d heard up to that point definitely had female presence. There was a female, her name was Hilarie Sidney, and well, long story short was recently divorced from Rob, the rest is history. (fans may feel the gap in the groovy drums too)
the song they played had some great “energy” to it. I think it’s become a strange anthem of vancouver’s green business since. The stage was set up by a fifth grader - “you, dress in a suit, you dress like davy jones from the monkees, uh…you dress like a crazy space bee man. i like space. then let’s stick up hearts and stars. i want nap time soon.” it’s cute and a cute song, and while rob isn’t a tall blonde hippie, he’s definitely a cute lil’ round of a man. so are apples!
MGOC: Rooney
song performed: “When Did Your Heart Go Missing?” from the album Calling the World
conan’s reaction: “nice job. *shakes guitar 1 hand* well hey, that was killer *shakes lead hand* thank you very much *shakes bass hand* rooney everybody, we’ll take a break, we’ll be right back. *claps three times, turns to shake drummer’s hands then keyboardist*”
sometime back in like 2003, I went to Lou’s Records in Encinitas with my roomie and after listening to a rack of previews had this catchy beach boys meets some band like earlimart. well I finally frickin’ found it - it’s “Blueside” by Rooney. for a while there I was thinking I was going crazy and came up with this really catchy lick. kind of like when I saw the latest durex commercial, but that was real. crazy egg nog stufff.
so from pretty LA come five pretty Rooneys. You gotta love the Rooneys. Ed Rooney was a goon principal. Wayne Rooney who is a footballer that likes stepping on nards. Mickey Rooney who played Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Andy Rooney who is the curmudgeony bush brow who barks out the truth and yells at ali g. And…Andi Rooney, new kitty friend that likes to push her face into people and furniture hard…really hard.
jeans, expensive plain t-shirt, and velvetly dinner jacket were the dress menu for the night, save the polo shirt drummer who looked more like a kiwi transplant than los angeles Rooney. The stage was a pretty neutral set-up, and that’s okay cause the groove is that way. You can cut your hair, but you don’t have to too soon. All in all a good solid performance.
hey, it’s a good time for these guys. they hit the scene booming with their “we are california” flag logo, then got dumped upon by their record label. fans celebrate. old fans dance!
MGOC: The Mooney Suzuki
song performed: “99%” from the album Have Mercy
conan’s reaction: “hi guys, that’s a really good job *shakes guitar hand* that was cool *shakes sammy hand* thank you very much. *shakes bass hand* ladies and gentleman the mooney suzuki, we’ll take a break, we’ll be right back. *claps twice and shakes drummer hand”
The Mooney Suzuki, like many bands, take a piece of inspiration and put it in their name. For Rooney, it could be Principal Ed Rooney from Ferris Beuller’s Day Off. For the Fratellis, it could be the three mean adults in Goonies. But for The Mooney Suzuki, it’s a bit deeper and therefore cooler - Damo Suzuki and Malcolm Mooney from German Krautrock band Can. Yuppers on that.
And while the name allusion means bupcus to most, the sound is spot on familiar. Ever see School of Rock starring Jack Black? Yep, this is the band behind a majority of the song writing in that flick.
You can hear it - actually what’s creepy is that the lead singer looks kind of like a giant version of the kid in School of Rock and the bass was a little bit sharp. I’m reminded to powder my nose before I run on the treadmill camera phone.
I heard that these guys were mini-victims of a record label in trouble, so just like the Dewey Finn, we all need a little Ned Schneebly every now and then. I found it kind of cool that lead singer Sammy James Jr was wearing a orange-tanned leather jacket amongst a sea of black and there was also a golden orange speaker stacked upon a wall of black. I’d like to think that was just his monitor speaker cause that’s just so rock!
MGOC: Flight of the Conchords
song performed: “Business Time” or “Something for the Ladies” from ???
conan’s reaction: “that was great *pats bret shoulder shakes jermaine hand* thanks for coming back *shakes bret hand* that was fantastic. the ladies appreciate. *puts right hand on jermaine, left hand on bret* flight of the conchords everybody. check out their show on hbo. i want to thank all of our guests. steve carrell. jennifer esposito. and our thanks to will arnet. stay tuned to last call with carson daly. bye bye everybody bye bye! *chats with the gang. shakes their hands again. chat chat. fixes his button once. twice. puts hands in pockets. chats*”
oh man this is too brilliant to write about - just enjoy. these guys are gonna rule the world.
MGOC: The White Stripes
song performed: “Icky Thump” and “Effect and Cause” from the album Icky Thump
conan’s reaction: “That’s great! That’s the real thing. I could hear that twice *leans back* we’ll take a break. more of the white stripes, stick around.”
hee haw it’s conan’s muse. back in ‘03 jack and meg took over the stage playing all of their elephant all ‘ver the place week April 22-25. now their back with their Icky Thump confusing couple gossip columnists, dating renee zellweger, making crazy michel gondry videos, and being pale and fierce. You kind of forget they’ve been rocking in the free world for ten years now.
so onstage it’s fierce white
fierce red
fierce black
fierce white, fierce red, fierce black, fearce white, fearce red, fearce black. The stage was canvassed in red stripes with background likes alternating white and red and it was fierce. Jack was wearing a black shirt and tight red pants and his skin is a dermatologists dream white and then his cap of hair jet black and it was fierce. he played a fierce red alien guitar and red keys with black and white fierce keys (impressive no?). he sang into a black microphone fiercely tucked into a red mic stand with a white cord wrapped around ala candy cane. fierce candy cane. meg was an equal counterpart with red shirt and tight black pants sitting her bum on a white stool. Her drum kit was all red with a pretty sunburst red and white mint decor on the bottom of her snare. I guess Meg really isn’t as fierce, but you can’t really feel fierce without the reciprocal chill now can you.
Icky Thump played out wonderfully with great change-ups and tone direction shifts. Jack wandered all around the stage soloing on both keys and guitar and Meg sway-played right on time, alternating with her busty bouncy drum playing. It was excellent. I kind of feel guilty like I witnessed their big magic trick first from the new album before their album really hits the stores. I loved the end with both players finish the song face down and then brush their bangs to reveal somber face - tre cool. see here…
Set two was more relaxed and my only two comments are that Jack’s face kind of looks like the joker sometimes and there was a girl sitting to the left of him that looked stern the whole time which was awkward - I think a possible nervous reaction kept her trying to look cool, but really looking horrified (of farting?) as the gang played in the audience campfire still
check this photo out…
now check out this link right here. interesting in that penguinrobot world domination kind of way…
