We're Not Out of Ammo Yet

"why? why have i resisted radiohead for SO long? failed to see their greatness and just give in already. well, partly because i hate to be told what to do. doubt should be anybody's natural inclination when they're being bombarded with how great something is--and that's one reason why i hesitate to even write this now-but i think there's a deeper reason-and that reason is jealousy. plain and simple. i was always jealous of radiohead. and that statement is ridiculous because there is NO way that i could ever even be close to their level-and i'm really not fishing here because-fuck. who could be? but listening to a track like 'nude' or 'weird fishes' makes you realize that shutting your goddamn mouth and just listening and not giving a fuck is all that should matter. in ANYthing. we get so bogged down by bullshit that it's easy to forget the things that make you YOU. and loving a shitty little piece of plastic is one of the things that makes me ME. so thanks, radiohead. i'm glad you exist and i'm sorry i was such a shit to you all these years."

*

Local H (myspace) fall tour dates have been announced, confirming an (apparently extended 60-minute) opening slot for Electric Six.  Toronto's Golden Dogs will be the early opener.  They pass through The Khyber (yikes, should be packed - tix) in Philly on 11/20 and Webster Hall in NYC on Saturday, 11/22 (tix not yet available).

Go!

Before all that, there's a FREE appearance in Philadelphia at Penn's Landing.  Also at that one:  (will not judge will not judge will not) Candlebox.  Hey, "You" was a good song, right?

Dates:

• 8/13 - Merrionette Park, IL - 115 Bourbon St. (Scott Lucas solo)
• 8/30 - Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier at Penn's Landing - FREE
• 9/14 - Chicago, IL - Q101 Block Party
• 9/20 - Maryland Heights, MO - Verizon Wireless Theater
• 9/27 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre
• 10/18 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection *^
• 10/20 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall *^
• 10/21 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue *^
• 10/22 - St. Louis, MO - FUBAR *^
• 10/23 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
• 10/24 - Dekalb, IL - Otto's Niteclub & Underground *
• 10/25 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon *^
• 10/26 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *^
• 10/27 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium *^
• 10/29 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room *^
• 10/30 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon *^
• 10/31 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater *^
• 11/1 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Paladium *^
• 11/3 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's *^
• 11/4 - Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan *^
• 11/6 - San Francisco - Great American Music Hall *^
• 11/7 - West Hollywood, CA - Key Club *^
• 11/8 - San Diego, CA - Casbah *^
• 11/9 - Tuscon, AZ - Plush *^
• 11/10 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse *^
• 11/12 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre *^
• 11/13 - Austin, TX - Emo's *^
• 11/14 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon *^
• 11/15 - Atlanta, GA - Lenny's *^
• 11/17 - Spartanburg, SC - Ground Zero *^
• 11/18 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle *^
• 11/19 - Washington DC - Black Cat *^
• 11/20 - Philadelphia, PA - The Khyber (tix)*^
• 11/21 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East *^
• 11/22 - New York, NY - Webster Hall *^
• 11/24 - Buffalo, NY - Tralf *^
• 11/25 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop *^
• 11/26 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls *^
• 11/28 - Covington, KY - Madhatter Club *^
• 11/29 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall *^

* - with Electric Six      ^ - with Golden Dogs

If you don't already own Twelve Angry Months, something is wrong with you.  Drink, you motherfucking horses.  The two performances below -the first time these two songs were played live, I think - are from the last night of the band's week-long Chicago stand in May.  "Kid" we've talked about before, "Taxi Cabs" is a real grower.  With fins on fire!

Local H, “Taxi Cabs” (live)

Local H, "The One with Kid" (live)

This might be least favorite song on Months, but that means it's still better than most everything else.  And it fits nicely with that Office Guy Freaks Out vid:

Local H, "Blur"

*

Be Your Own Pet - Bunk Trunk Skunk (mp3) (buy Be Your Own Pet)

According to a brief (of course), polite (!) announcement, after a few European obligations are phoned in it's RIPBYOP (myspace).  We need more fun, sharp punk bands, more girls that rock out, more groups like this one.

The album that they'll end their career on, Get Awkward, was gutted of its best songs before release.  Someone at their label - Thurston Moore, or that fishchick on the Starbucks cup, or someone else - was shocked (shocked!) at the violent content in "Black Hole" ("Breaking glass bottles is oh so fun, let's go and kill someone") and the with-us/against-us j.d. anthem "Becky" ("me and her will kick your ass, we'll wait with knives after class," "now I'm going to juvie for teenage homicide... but I don't regret what I done because in the end it was fun").  This after Jemina Pearl Abegg drowned her boyfriend on their first record and sang "I'm sorry.  I'm not sorry.  I'm sorry.  I'm not sorry!"

Suffer thee, music fans smart enough to know the difference between urge and intent.  (The excised songs have since been released on the EP Get Damaged.)

The brief existence works for these guys, though.  Not because their music was centered on destruction, but because it celebrated passing enthusiasm.  At its best, Be Your Own Pet was about yelling at, or about, a moment.  Joyous tantrums.  There it goes!  No brakes!  As soon as Rolling Stone started touting the Nashville group as "Artists to Watch" their finger-painting days were numbered.

Be Your Own Pet - Creepy Crawl (mp3) (buy Get Awkward)

Abegg's usually convincing because the songs are terse and direct and she throws herself right at them.  "Crawl's" a shock - more so than any of the band's so-called violence - because it gravitates toward question marks.  There's the boldness of displaying indiscretionary guilt without caring about forgiveness, but there's no pride.  This relationship is over, the desire was a symptom, but the action wasn't a direction, where do I go from here?

Wherever.  This is a band that had at least two songs about zombies so they'll all be back in some form.  In lieu of flowers, punch the air, that gassy motherfucker had it coming, yeah.

Be Your Own Pet, "Black Hole" (live)

*

Meanwhile, it's tea time for Chris Cornell.

*

tags: local h  electric six  be your own pet  

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