6.30.2014

End of the Month Music Bitchfest - June 2014

Nine Inch Nails
It occurs to me that, if Reznor doesn't want NIN live to be seen as a nostalgia act, something he's said numerous times in recent interviews, then maybe going on tour with another band that was really huge in the 90's and who is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of their biggest albums might not be the best way to avoid that.
Unless, of course, he doesn't play anything from The Downward Spiral.
Picture it: a Nine Inch Nails show without "March of the Pigs", "Closer"* or "Hurt".
Aside from the shows they did before the album came out, has that ever happened?
I'll just answer that right now: no, no it has not.
Just like hardly a show has passed since With Teeth was released that didn't feature "The Hand That Feeds" right before "Head Like A Hole".
If Reznor wants to completely avoid his upcoming live shows been viewed as such, he would have to reinvent what Nine Inch Nails live is. He did a pretty amazing job with Tension; even if the tools he used to craft the experience were a bit well worn, it worked. Switching the duties and number of people sharing the stage with you while you play "Terrible Lie" isn't reinvention though.
I guess we'll see in a few weeks how Trent Reznor is redefining "reinvention" this summer.
Frankly, I wish the tour were already over so he can focus on the stuff for Gone Girl.

Also, "someone" from the NIN camp confirmed that the Tension Blu-ray is still happening, but that they're making it bigger and better etc. by putting footage from other legs of their recent tours on it.
I'm cool with that...after they've re-released The Fragile.**

Eels
The new video for "Lockdown Hurricane" appeared online and, in my mind, has a whole lot in common with their video for "Spectacular Girl", specifically just how much the song and video have nothing to do with one another and that both star a superhot girl
And guns.
Enjoy?

They Might Be Giants
A pleasant surprise from TMBG this month. Just yesterday, they released their entire first album played live. Consider me mollified regarding the release (and inherent concept) of Idlewild.
Here's the link. It's totally free and won't result in any spam.
Something fun, if you're interested: listen to the first album, and then see how much (or how little) it's evolved in their minds over the past 28 years.
Crazy stuff.

Beck
Seeing this fellow tomorrow night amidst a crowd of hundreds of sweaty mooks.
Predictions: several guitars, a tiny bit of breakdancing, nothing at all from Midnite Vultures, and for him to close with the seven minute version of "Where It's At", which will include him cajoling the audience into yelling "Oh la la Sassoon!"
How can someone so funky be so predictable?


And, in an oddly Coil-related turn, this month I spent some time with the new Electric sewer age release, Bad white corpuscle, and should have a review of that up soon, as well as Peter Christopherson's Time Machines II, which wins the award from most baffling and awesome packaging of an album that I have ever received.
Review (and, probably, pictures) coming soon.

Now scoot.





* Yes, yes, I know he cut it from the setlist for NIN/JA and Wave Goodbye.

** YOU HAVE SIX FUCKING MONTHS TO GET THIS OUT IN TIME FOR THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GODDAMN ALBUM. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER FUCKING FIVE YEARS.

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