Songs For Halloween: Nouvelle Vague - “Making Plans For Nigel”

Another Halloween season re-post. This one from October of 2010.

Back in 2005, French musicians/producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux hit on the idea of transforming vintage punk rock into Latin-flavored lounge music. The duo assembled eight sultry-sounding singers to take turns on lead vocals. Countless other acts have sought to conjure something avant garde out of slowing down the tempo on energetic songs, but the results usually came out reeking of embalming fluid. Nouvelle Vague, on the other hand, delivered a self-titled debut of fun, inventive takes on Joy Division, The Clash, Modern English, Dead Kennedys, and others.

The original “Making Plans For Nigel,” from the XTC album Drums & Wires, was more of a chilling meditation on the English working class than a high-speed rave-up, but it captured punk’s feelings of alienation. Working at a steel mill is certainly a respectable profession, but the razor-sharp lyrics suggest something more sinister. Nouvelle Vague’s breezy acoustic guitar and percussion arrangement adds an ironic touch to the social satire that actually makes the song a bit creepier than the original.

“We’re only making plans for Nigel,” a seductive voice explains. “We only want what’s best for him.” The point of view here is from a parent or other authority figure who views the young lad in question as a little dim and in need of guidance. “Nigel just needs this helping hand.” Worse yet, are the lyrics that could almost be referring to a pet or a child. “Nigel is not outspoken but he like to speak and be spoken to.” It’s almost as if the authority figure senses criticism that Nigel is either being brainwashed or forced to do something against his will, and defensively notes, “And if young Nigel says he’s happy, he must be happy in his work.” As the song drifts by we’re left to contemplate the line, “Nigel’s whole future is as good as sealed.”

So hats off to XTC for a creating a song that may not be about ghosts and monsters, but is pretty scary anyway, and to Nouvelle Vague for its imaginative rendition.

CD Review: OAX - This Distance

Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.

The debut EP from Oax, a solo project by The Rosebuds’ bassist Giorgio Angelini, features him pretty much playing all the instruments himself. Jim Eno of Spoon produced and plays drums on one of the tracks, while Ivan Howard of The Rosebuds and Chris Simpson of Mineral and The Gloria Record help out on vocals. Surprisingly, This Distance doesn’t sound much like the previous work from any of the musicians who were involved in its creation.

Four of the five tracks were recorded at Angelini’s home, and they all have a rough-hewn, guitar-oriented quality reminiscent of vintage Neil Young or Eleventh Dream Day. “Liar, Cheat, Jerk” is a spacey, slow-moving number with exotic percussion, while the melodic “Pretty Good Start” melds grunge and Country music within a tempo-shifting arrangement. “Love And Crashing” and “Scoundrel” are faster-paced songs, but like everything else on This Distance, they’re laced with cryptic lyrics that take a caustic view of love and relationships.

Way Oh Way Oh Way To Party!

Photo of The Bangles and Vintage Trouble taken from The Bangles Facebook page.

The Bangles didn’t hesitate to promote their most recent CD, Sweetheart Of The Sun at their House Of Blues concert in Chicago last night. In fact, they kicked things off with “Anna Lee (Sweetheart Of The Sun).” The melodic song was greeted warmly, although there was a much more emphatic roar of approval for “Hazy Shade Of Winter,” which followed directly after it. Still, The Bangles’ faith in their new material was merited, as several Sweetheart songs were expertly woven throughout a 90-minute career retrospective. Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, and Vicki Peterson, backed by keyboards player Greg “Harpo” Hilfman and bassist Derrick Anderson, were at the top of their game, offering gorgeous three part harmonies and energetic playing.

“In case you didn’t get the memo, we have a new recording out,” Vicki Peterson joked while introducing the stubbornly romantic “I’ll Never Be Through With You.” The rollicking “Ball N Chain” and majestic “Mesmerized” were other newly minted highlights. The Bangles also tapped into their 2003 reunion effort, Doll Revolution for “The Rain Song” and “Ride The Ride,” but surprisingly, their cover of Elvis Costello’s acerbic “Tear Off Your Own Head” was not offered.

The performance included all the big hits, with “Manic Monday” coming fairly early on, but this was also an evening for those of us who were avid followers long before “Eternal Flame” topped the charts. Just as the show was about to start, a version of the Bee Gees’ “In My Own Time” done by fellow Paisley Underground members The Three O’Clock blared over the sound system.

The set list reached back to the 1984 album All Over The Place for gems like “Restless,” “Going Down To Liverpool,” “Live,” and “He’s Got A Secret.” “Get The Girl,” from the Austin Powers flick The Spy Who Shagged Me, was given an extended intro, and briefly slipped into “Outside Chance,” an obscure song by The Turtles. The Bangles served up a rousing finale by meshing “In Your Room” from Everything with the much earlier “Hero Takes A Fall.”

The Bangles’ first encore was their cover of “Sweet And Tender Romance” from Sweetheart, which must have had a few audience members scratching their heads. The choice proved yet again that The Bangles are playing by their own rules theses days rather than bowing to any big record company demands. Imagine the indignation of the corporate types if they had seen Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, and Vicki Peterson come out and strut their stuff as go-go dancers for an opening act. That’s precisely what the trio did last night at The House Of Blues.

Making its first visit to Chicago, the smartly-attired Vintage Trouble seemed like an odd choice to open for the power pop oriented Bangles. But lead vocalist Ty Taylor is a charismatic showman in the old school style of James Brown, and the band’s energetic mix of R&B and hard rock was irresistible. The song that enticed The Bangles to join Vintage Trouble on stage was a barn-burner in the style of “Land Of A Thousand Dances.” Other highlights from these impressive newcomers included “Nobody Told Me” and “Blues Hand Me Down.”

Later, as The Bangles launched into their final encore, they invited the boys from Vintage Trouble to join them for a rollicking version of “Walk Like An Egyptian.” It was a perfect close to a concert that had seemed like a party all night.

Demo-Listen Derby

The Bangles have a show tonight at The House Of Blues in Chicago. Should be interesting to see how many songs they’ll play from the new Sweetheart Of The Sun CD. I’m betting on at least the title track and their cover of the Nazz nugget “Open My Eyes.” Hopefully even more.

Here are three reviews that originally appeared in the Around Hears column in the Illinois Entertainer.

The six-piece band Dastardly combines foot-stompin’ Country & Western instrumentation and elaborate vocal arrangements on their May You Never . . . EP, only to subvert them with reckless tempo changes and bizarre lyrics. The results aren’t always as funny as the band thinks they are, but the Everly Brothers harmonies on “Creepy” and the biting satire on playing the club scene,“Middleground” are undeniably fun. The haunting “Morning Blue” is the closest these talented jokers come to doing a normal tune.

Veteran studio singer Josie Falbo gets help from several local musicians while making the most of her debut CD Taylor Street on Southport Records. Covering traditional jazz, contemporary R&B, gospel, opera, and show tunes, Falbo’s versatility is particularly evident when comparing her sassy take on George and Ira Gershwin’s “Little Jazz Bird” with her reverent rendition of “Ave Maria.” She also performs her own composition, the jazz flavored “Love Found Me (Just In Time)” with help from Linda Clifford on backup vocals.

Singer-guitarist Dean Milano's expressive vocals reflect decades of performing folk music. An author as well as a musician, his tales of loners, truck drivers, and late-night hitchhikers on Something To Think About ring true and often have a dose of humor. “I’m Proud To Be Ignorant” is like shooting fish in a barrel, but Milano crafts sharper satire on “Musical Chairs” and the title track. Throughout the CD, there’s a sense of Milano carrying on a rich tradition.

Songs For Halloween: The Insiders - “Ghost On The Beach”

First of all, here’s wishing a happy birthday to John Lennon. Chicagoans looking to celebrate the occasion can drop by The Temple Bar tonight at 6:30 for singer-guitarist Phil Angotti’s solo acoustic John Lennon B-Day Celebration. It’s an all ages show, so bring the kids. The Temple Bar is located at 3001 N. Ashland.

Continuing with this month’s format of offering a previously-posted Halloween-related song profile on each weekend day, here’s a look at “Ghost On The Beach” by The Insiders

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Things certainly looked promising back in 1987 when The Insiders released their debut, Ghost On The Beach, on Epic. The title track, written by John Siegle and Gary Yerkins, was not only a perfect blast of power pop with muscular guitar playing and an indelible melody, it also offered the sure-fire elements of a summer romance and a hint of the supernatural. The sexy video went into heavy rotation on MTV, and helped The Insiders land a beer commercial.

The well honed lyrics describe a one night stand on the beach beside a romantic campfire as the waves came crashing in. “Making love almost the moment we met./A soggy Romeo, a soakin’ wet Juliet.” Later, it’s almost as if the encounter never took place. “The sand is smooth like no woman ever walked there./The wind silent like no man ever spoke.” All of which leads the guy to an eerie conclusion. “As I stand under the moon/And I’ll see you, washed up, some ghost inside a bottle/Out on the beach.” Guess that means he didn’t get her number.

CD Review: Halloween A Go-Go

Snackstock 2011 A Benefit Concert For Ovarian Cancer is being held from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM tomorrow, October 9th at Austin’s Fuel Room in Libertyville, Illinois. The event is being sponsored by Snack King Photos. Goin’ South, the southern rock cover band often profiled by Willy Deal in his On The Road With Willy segments for the Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff internet show, will be performing, along with Ordinary Outcast. Tickets for the all ages show are $15, or four for $30, with all the proceeds going to The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

And now here’s some more fun in a Halloween vein. Note: This review originally appeared in the Illinois Entertainer.

Halloween A Go-Go is a CD version of musician/radio host Little Steven Van Zandt’s annual October bash, minus the funny B-movie sound bites he sprinkles throughout his syndicated show. The consistently energetic tracks range from the 1950s rockabilly of Carl Perkins’ “Put Your Cat Clothes On” to the modern garage rock of The Stems, Minus 5, and Jarvis Humby. Not all of the songs qualify as bona fide Halloween fare.

The biggest stretch is “Restless Nights” by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (which includes Van Zandt) although it does fit a nocturnal theme that includes a crown jewel of the garage movement, “I Had Too Much To Dream” by The Electric Prunes, as well as The Pretty Things’ psychedelic “Walking Through My Dreams.” Veteran garage rockers The Chesterfield Kings, who always seem to be in a Halloween party mood, check in with “Running Through My Nightmares,” while Howlin’ Wolf’s “Howlin For My Darling” offers spooky fun in a blues vein. The only dud is the cornball oldie, “The Cool Ghoul” by John Zacherle. No doubt it was included for nostalgia, but any number of tracks would have been better, such as Metric’s “Monster Hospital” or Don Dixon’s “Praying Mantis.”

Slumgullion #82

Experience Tomorrow Tonight. Tomorrow The Moon, the sci-flavored rock band that includes guitarist-vocalist Steve Gerlach from The Bad Examples, will touch down for a gig tonight at Abbey Pub on Chicago’s northwest side. Look for the group to perform songs from its The Dim, Distant Now CD. Rich Xperience, Power Of Time, and Karlye Lapetina are also on the bill.

May Arrives In October. Irish singer Imelda May dropped by WXRT yesterday afternoon for a chat with Terri Hemmert in advance of her gig tonight at the Park West. May, who has garnered critical acclaim for her fiery live performances as well as her Love Tattoo CD, came across as soft-spoken and friendly. She opened the session by noting it was an honor to be interviewed by National Radio Hall of Fame inductee Hemmert.

In addition to performing “Mayhem” and “Inside Out” live with her husband, guitarist Darrel Higham, May reminisced about singing blues songs as a kid in an Irish pub, and how Ron Wood once joined her on stage back in those days. She also explained the process of singing along with her own pre-recorded layered vocals when she was part of Jeff Beck’s Rock & Roll Party: Honoring Les Paul show. As a life-long blues lover, May said she was compelled to visit Chess Records on Michigan Avenue when she came to Chicago. “It was quite emotional going there,” the singer noted. Her show at the Park West tonight starts at 8:00 PM.

Melodies You Can Rely On. Aaron Fox & The Reliables, a power pop band that’s really come into its own through a series of gigs at International Pop Overthrow - Chicago the past few years, will be performing at Reggies Music Joint tomorrow night. Show time is 9:00 PM.

Brotherly Rock. Veteran power pop trio 92 Degrees makes a rare live appearance tomorrow night as part of a double bill with the hard-hitting and melodic Van Go at Phyllis’ Music Inn at 1800 W. Division in Chicago. Van Go plans to unveil the quantum physics related new song called “Schrodinger’s Cat” at the gig and warns patrons might get a bit disoriented. If that wasn’t confusing enough, each band has a bass-playing Galassini; Mike for 92 Degrees, Lou for Van Go. Show time is 9:30 PM.

Dive Right In. WETT, a five piece band fronted by versatile lead vocalist Annette Grover, will be performing a one hour set of eclectic cover songs tomorrow, October 8th at The Brat Stop in Wisconsin. The show starts at 4:00 PM. WETT will be also be performing at Drifters Saloon in Dixon, Illinois on October 15th.

Now You Actually Can Look Through Any Window. The October 6th edition of the online newsletter Popdose features the Ken Shane piece, A Fan’s Notes regarding the new DVD The Hollies Look Through Any Window 1963 -1975. The 22-song disc is the fifth volume in the British Invasion series, which kicked off last year with the simultaneous release of profiles on Small Faces (currently nominated for Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame), Dusty Springfield, Herman’s Hermits, and Gerry & The Pacemakers.

Shane praises the video and audio quality of the series, as well as its format, which includes live performances from European TV shows, interviews, and bonus features. Although there are countless CD collections covering The Hollies’ career, Look Through Any Window provides a rare extensive visual look at the band. Previously, the best way to view The Hollies was on bootleg DVDs and VHS tapes, or the Classic Pictures’ Special Edition, which inexplicably offered four Hollies performances and 10 performances by other artists ranging from Procol Harum to Kid Creole & The Coconuts. The import CD/DVD The Dutch Collection is loaded with all kinds of interesting Hollies visuals, but it’s in the PAL format. The Hollies Look Through Any Window 1963 -1975 is available from Amazon for 12.99.

Hangbangers Board. As Halloween looms closer, it might be a good idea to check out the costumes available from the TOYNK website. Their online store also carries several action figures, and for the more cerebral of your heavy metal-loving friends, there’s an AC/DC version of Monopoly. The game’s description explains the usual tokens players use to travel around the board have been changed to “more rock-appropriate” items like a cannon and a bundle of dynamite, while properties have names like Black Ice and AC/DC Lane.

Laura & Linda’s World. In yesterday’s post about the spooky Bed Of Roses song “The Attic That Is My Mind,” I mentioned that Laura Good from The Twigs played cello on it. It’s been a while since The Twigs recorded anything, but Laura just sent a message that she and her sister Linda are currently working on a single they hope to release soon. The Goods are also wrapping up a full-length CD of kids music that will be similar to the way They Might Be Giants and Grammy-nominated Chicagoan Justin Roberts approach the genre.

Should Old/New Acquaintances Be Forgotten? When Material Issue bassist Ted Ansani and drummer Mike Zelenko got together with singer-guitarist Phil Angotti to form Material re-Issue, it was described as a short term project to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original band’s debut, International Pop Overthrow. Apparently they’re sticking with that plan because the New Year’s Eve Material re-Issue gig at Reggie’s Music Joint in downtown Chicago is being billed as their “Last Show Ever.” $30 early bird tickets for the Last Rites sponsored show will be available through November 30th.