- FILTER Magazine

We Love You...Digitally
HELLO AND WELCOME to the interactive version of Filter Mini We’re best viewed in full-screen
mode, so if you can still see the top of the window, please click on the Window menu and select Full
Screen View (or press Ctrl+L). There you go—that’s much better isn’t it? [Mini stretches, yawns,
scratches something.] Right. If you know the drill, go ahead and left-click to go forward a page; if
you forget, you can always right-click to go back one. And if all else fails, intrepid traveler, press the
Esc key to exit full-screen and return to a life more humble.
Keep an eye on your cursor.While reading Mini online, you will notice that there are links on every
page that allow you to discover more about the artists we write about. Scroll over each page to find the
H-O-T-T hotlinks, click ’em, and find yourself at the websites of the artists we cover, the sponsors who
help make this happen, and all of the fine places to go to purchase the records you read about here.
Thank you for your support of this thing we call Filter. Good music, as they say, will prevail.
-Chris Martins, Editor-in-Chief
Letters, inquiries, randomness: [email protected]
Advertising and suchlike: [email protected]
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Africa Unite: The Singles Collection
A collection of 20 vital singles featuring
both his extraordinary Island Records hits
and earlier pre-Island classics side by side.
The Singles Collection features three new Bob Marley tracks:
“SLOGANS,” the first new, official Bob Marley recording released in over a decade,
“AFRICA UNITE (will.i.am remix),” remixed by will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas featuring Rita Marley
and a mash-up of “GET UP, STAND UP” VS “WELCOME TO JAMROCK”
featuring Bob Marley and Damian Marley.
Available 11/8
bobmarley.com
jkl
8z
/
© 2005 Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
CONTENTS
PUBLISHERS:
Alan Miller & Alan Sartirana
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
SPOTLIGHT
4
5
METRIC,YESTERDAYS NEW QUINTET
CUT COPY, GIANT DRAG, KING ELEMENTARY
THE LIKE’s Guide to L.A.
On the Road with GANG OF FOUR
FLASH
8
FILTER DVD RELEASE PICKS
FEATURES
10
12
16
Eric Almendral
ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
SCENE
6
7
Chris Martins
ART DIRECTOR:
WHY? vs. TV ON THE RADIO
SPACE GHOST Takes on DANGERDOOM
25 Years of MADNESS
Lesley Bargar
SCRIBES:
Catherine Adcock, Christoph Barclay,
Todd Berger, Bryan Chenault,
Benjy Eisen, Matt Epler, Paul Gaita,
Joshua Gardner, David Iskra,
Patrick James, Pat McGuire,
Bernardo Rondeau, Sam Roudman,
Tristan Staddon, Chi Tung,
Louis Vlach
MARKETING:
18
20
ONE-LINERS
CD REVIEWS
FR0M THE EDITOR:
Welcome back, dear reader. Quite a bit has happened since last we met.While you were restlessly adventuring with Rilo Kiley, filling in the
blanks with Sigur Rós, playing dress-up with
BRMC, and hitting the road with Frank Black
(Issue 7—download it at filtermini.com), we
were scheming with our heads together and our
fingers on “evil genius mode.” The result is the
coolest coup in Mini’s brief history: Space Ghost
versus DangerDoom.The cover comes to us as an Adult Swim exclusive; the interview…well, that’s complicated. And weird. But we
know you’ll enjoy it because, frankly, it’s awesome. In other world
domination news, we’re pleased to announce the launch of Filter Mini
UK. Our plan to steal their language and feed it back to them has
finally come to fruition. Cheers!
ON STANDS NOW – FILTER
ISSUE 17
Where’s Angela Lansbury? For Issue 17, we’ve
got a classic who-done-it on our hands: “Who
Shot Franz Ferdinand?” It’s the latest and greatest from Mini’s big brother, where we turn over
the controls to Scotland’s finest and tell them to
not only take their own photos, but draft their own cover story. Plus,
all the odds and sods you’ve come to love from Filter: an exclusive
interview with Depeche Mode, Broken Social Scene, the New
Pornographers, My Morning Jacket, Death Cab For Cutie,
Grandaddy, the Cribs, Dungen, Magic Numbers, Nine Black Alps,
Stella’s Michael Ian Black, Elijah Wood, and a bully vs. geek rematch
from the 1987 teen classic Three O’Clock High. It’s strange and beautiful...just like Ms. Lansbury.
SEND ALL LETTERS TO:
[email protected] or 5908 Barton Ave., L.A., CA 90038
Danielle Allaire, Mike Bell,
Bryan Chenault, Penny Hewson,
Leslie Madill, Pat McGuire,
Mark Mueller, Gur Rashal,
Eli Thomas
THANK YOU:
Heather Bleemers, John Brown, Rene Carranza,
Steven Dewall, Charles Fleming, Eric Frederic,
Mikel Jollett, Gregg LaGambina, Tom Manning,
Rich and Diana Martins, the Oakland Bay Area,
Baillie Parker, Stephen Randall, Yoni Wolf, Jason
DeMarco, Jacob Escobedo, Carol Kim, Mike Lazzo,
Trevor Seamon, Dave Holmes, Darin Harmon, Get
Well Sox, Parkes, Erik Bedard, Rich Harden,
Darrin Sproles,Wendy Kayland-Sartirana, Momma
Sartirana, the Ragsdales, UK/PR Sartiranas, the
Masons, Pete-O, Rey, the Paikos family, Chelsea &
the Rifkins, Shalyce & Donna @ Goldenvoice,
Shaynee, Wig/Tamo and the SF crew, Shappsy,
Phamster, Pipe, Dana Dynamite, Liz M from
Converse, Christian P, Mike Williams, Lisa O'Hara,
the Bargar Fam, Rick Gershon,Adam Leff, Michael
Suter, Noelle Kenney, Jered Standing, Stan Lee and
Jack Kirby.
EDITORIAL INQUIRIES:
5908 Barton Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
[email protected]
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES:
[email protected]
West Coast Sales: 323.464.4718
East Coast Sales: 646.202.1683
Filter Mini Magazine is published by Filter
Magazine LLC, 5908 Barton Ave., Los Angeles
CA 90038.Vol. 1, No. 8, October/November
2005. Filter Mini Magazine is not responsible for
anything, including the return or loss of submissions, or for any damage or other injury to unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. Any submission of
a manuscript or artwork should include a selfaddressed envelope or package of appropriate
size, bearing adequate return postage.
© 2005 BY FILTER MAGAZINE LLC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
FILTER IS PRINTED IN THE USA
WWW.FILTERMINI.COM
WWW.FILTER-MAG.COM
COVER ILLUSTRATION BY JACOB ESCOBEDO
REVIEWS
SPOTLIGHT
Cut Copy
SPOTLIGHT
by Todd Berger
Science class taught us that because of the
Earth’s rotation, things work differently
south of the equator. Toilets flush clockwise, jet streams flow in reverse and seasons are backwards. Which means when
Australian electro-poppers Cut Copy had
a hometown hit summer single, “Future,”
they were actually having a hit winter single. Using the scientific method, we can
assume that if a) The group’s unique blend of retro-disco and futuristic synth was the perfect soundtrack for the cold Australian summer nights, then b) As the days grow shorter
here north of the equator, we’re just in time to get in on the groove. So sit by the fire
with their new album Bright Like Neon Love or bundle up and see them on tour with Franz
Ferdinand. And by the way, that thing about toilets flushing clockwise is bullshit.
Giant Drag
Metric
by Tristan Staddon
After spending the past two years urging us to soldier through the lethargy and indifference of
everyday existence, the Metric dance militia has
remobilized around its personal ode to perseverance. Sure, Live It Out, recorded in the band’s
Toronto studio, is a guitar-driven affair featuring a
handful of French vocals and, for the first time, an
unabashed, thoroughly sublime love song. But it’s
faithful to the same personal politics and anti-consumerism you fell in love with in the first place.
“There’s no self-sabotage button in place,” confirms keyboardist/chanteuse Emily Haines. “But,
at the same time, we feel wrong about what it is to
be a successful rock band. Bands should do things,
not cocaine off the tits of hookers.” Still, righteous
as Metric is, don’t expect them to completely
abandon every indulgence their hard work has netted. “Actually, I think debauchery is great,” she
reconsiders. “It’s the shopping that really gets me.
I mean, why do you need to show other people
that you’re rich?” Beats us, Emily. Come to think
of it, why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard? And why
am I eating Alphagetti with my hands? Somebody
really ought to get Robert Stack on the phone.
Oh…right.
Yesterdays New Quintet
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CUT COPY: KANE SKENNAR. GIANT DRAG: DAN MONICK.
King
Elementary
METRIC: CHRIS GRISMER. MADLIB: B+.
by Chi Tung
Yesterday’s news: that Madlib is Otis Jackson Jr. is
Quasimoto is Yesterdays New Quintet. It’s called
creative amnesia, and it’s what separates the insanely
gifted from the gifted insane. Which one Madlib is,
well, you get to decide. As if all that wasn’t confusing enough, today’s Yesterdays New Quintet is
almost a distant memory: for an undetermined span
of tomorrows, the “band” (Madlib’s even created
names and personas for each fictional player) will go
by Sound Direction.Who cares if their about-to-bereleased “debut,” The Funky Side of Life, is merely
another means for Madlib to get his grown-man on.
It’s still on that whole chopped-up jazz-soul tip:
fresh, clean, funky. Except this time, the beat conductor has his own symphony: session musicians who
hold it down on horns, guitar, and backup keyboards.
Or so the liner notes say.
by Sam Roudman
From its concrete bosom, Los Angeles has sired a
fresh new band brimming with quirk and head-bob
appeal, and its name is Giant Drag.With Annie Hardy
on guitar and vocals, and Micah Calabrese on bass,
drums and various gadgetry, the multi-tasking twosome create a unique brand of lyrically irreverent distortion-pop that overcomes the inevitable chickwith-a-guitar curse. Says Annie: “My favorite comparisons have been to bands that don’t even have any
females in them” (such as little-known L.A. locals the
Beach Boys, or the equally obscure Northwestern
boys-club trio, Nirvana). Following the Drag’s muchheralded remake of Journey’s “Who’s Crying Now?”
(seriously) and a series of well-received L.A. shows,
the Gods intervened on the duo’s behalf, signed them
to an Interscope subsidiary, sent them touring all over
the damn place, and released their debut album,
Hearts and Unicorns.
by Patrick James
“Have a badass summer!” O that iconic inscription
gracing the pages of countless yearbooks—easily
on par with Horace Greeley’s immortal, “Go
West, young man.” But how many of us actually
heeded the call during that Indian summer following senior year? One of us has. Or rather four.
Fresh out of their caps and gowns, Jackson,
Mississippi’s King Elementary dropped their soulful, post-garage rock, album-length debut Kudzu, subsequently toured the States, crushed the CMJ music festival in New York, and inked a deal with Capitol
Records. Though they formed as freshman fans of indie rock du jour (covering the Strokes and ATDI),
the K.E. don’t let their youth keep them from forging their own path. “I got escorted from a bar last
night,” says singer Morgan Jones, 18, “but, fuck it, I can drink in my hotel room.” Badass indeed. F
FILTER mini 4
SCENE
SCENE
The Like’s Guide to L.A.
On the Road with Gang of Four
by Bryan Chenault
They’re an easy-on-the-eyes all-girl band.They started in their teens. And, yes, they’re from California. Ahh the wonders of L.A.’s perpetual summer—but might this be a cruel gimmick? No! You won’t find the Like slithering around in
black leather like the Runaways, or stomping through AC/DC riffs in matching Chucks a la Donnas A through R.This
powerful trio—Z. Berg (vocals), Charlotte Froom (bass), Tennessee Thomas (drums, crumpets—she relocated from
London six years ago)—prefers its rock meaningful and melancholic, not bawdy and barely legal. After three Likenamed EPs, the band has returned all growed up on its debut, Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking? Just off a quiet tour
with Tori Amos, they’re back out on the road with Kings of Leon for what we’re dubbing the “HideYour Daughters” tour.
“We’ve been warned many times,” insists Tennessee, of the backstage culture shock that the rowdy Nashville crew might
present. “We’re pretty tough, though.” Before they head out into the unknown, Mini had them talk L.A. faves.
by Pat McGuire
It may have been another influential punk band who said,“Know your rights,” but Gang of Four are today’s best example of
why you should know your roots. Never before and never again will any four-piece burst upon a scene so urgently, politically and dancily…until they themselves reburst this year. It’s the return of the gang, thanks to Go4’s “new” album Return
the Gift—a collection of their classics freshly re-recorded by the original members—and a frenetic live show highlighted by
moments of microwave-smashing...err…heat. Filter Mini caught up with frontman and new ’wave art pioneer Jon King
during practice to talk about the Death Races, streakings, and baseball-bat beatings that are a Gang of Four road trip.
So what’s your motivation behind reuniting?
To be honest with you, the motivation is really about having fun. Strangely, I think we’re all enjoying this run a lot
more than we did first time around.We’ve had pretty successful careers outside of the band—and it’s one of those
things that for a long time none of us said we wanted to
do—and then it just seemed right.We just felt a great affection for each other once we got into a room together.We
also realized there had been a little bit of a hole in our lives.
The Best...
…thrift-store threads?
Charlotte: Valley Thrift. It’s sort of in the middle of
nowhere and it smells really bad, but they have a huge
warehouse and you can always find good stuff.
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…caffeine fix?
Charlotte: I’d say Urth Caffé. Everything there is organic.The coffee is amazing.There’s one on Melrose and one
in Beverly Hills.
Is this going to interfere with the band’s day jobs?
We’ve all swung it so it won’t.That’s why we’re doing it in
small bites—three and a half weeks of tour at a time.The
first time around we spent every minute on the road to get
our message out.We weren’t getting very much help from
the record companies.
…home away from home for English ex-pats?
Tennessee: There’s this place in Santa Monica called Ye
Olde King’s Head.They have tea service each day, and all
sorts of nice English cakes and chocolate bars, which I’m
often desperate for. It’s really dangerous.
How is this tour going to work logistically?
The equipment travels in a U-Haul and we do the big bus.
We don’t really do that whole splitting thing; the band and
the crew all travel together under the same circumstances
so it becomes a real emotional link between everybody.
We’re all locked into the same objective.
…weekend hang?
Charlotte:Well, we can’t exactly hit the bars, so we just
chill at friend’s houses. The 101 and Swingers are great.
They both serve food really late.
…place to bump in to Bennifer or Bradgelina?
Charlotte: The Ivy, without a doubt. There are always
SUVs with tinted windows across the street and paparazzi
around.
Z: I know I’ve seen a lot of celebrities, but I think you
don’t really notice it living here. It’s when someone comes
to visit and all they see is the amazing Annie Hall version of
L.A.They make you see all these fun things and you realize, “Oh yeah, L.A. is really cool.” F
PHOTO: MARC GOLDSTEIN
…spot to go to for some “me time”?
Z: Ooh, I have three. First: the La Brea Tar Pits. Second:
this place called Angels Attic—it’s a museum of dollhouses in Santa Monica. I’m obsessed with miniature things.
Third: the abandoned zoo cages in Griffith Park.
Charlotte: My apartment.
Tennessee: Amoeba Records—I could spend the whole
day there; Iliad Books in the Valley; this revival cinema that
plays old black and white films called the New Beverly; the
beach—I go to El Matador up past Malibu. It’s kind of far,
but there are lots of cool caves and it’s really quiet. And
maybe Santa Monica Pier, for the arcades and Dance
Dance Revolution.
Tennessee: Squaresville. Or St. Vincent de Paul in
Glendale. And the Rose Bowl in Pasadena every second
Sunday of the month.
Z: I only shop on eBay. I’m a freak. I can’t shop in real life.
PHOTO: K.T. AULETA
…place to catch an all-ages show?
Charlotte: The Troubadour. It’s pretty much the only
place we can get in, but it’s a classic.
Z: That’s where I saw my first club show. I think I was 9.
When we started out, we always said that when we play
the Troubadour, we’re a real band. We’ve played there a
bunch since.
Tennessee: Most of the clubs we play at we’re not even
allowed into.We have to stay in these little storage rooms
where they keep all the tables and chairs and if we go to
the bathroom we have to be chaperoned.
Has it always been that way?
We’ve tried some different sorts of things. Once we tried
driving a whole bunch of different cars, Death Race 2000style, all big, fast ones driven in packs of four racing from
place to place, but that was really a bit foolish.We tried the
flying thing, but flying is so horrible now, it’s just not an
enjoyable experience. Ground transportation is the only
way to do it.
At Coachella, Flea was talking about how much he
looks up to the band...
Flea is a fantastic talent.The first time I met Flea we were
playing in Los Angeles at the Palace and a naked streaker
leaped out of the audience and grabbed me.There’s a great
photograph of that somewhere. The younger audience
especially enjoyed it. Oddly enough, our audience is mainly young people now; I’d say two-thirds of the audience is
under 25.
Not many people that age have ever seen anyone
hit a microwave with an aluminum bat repeatedly.
No, I think I’m the world’s leading microwave artist.
So how do you keep that “instrument” stocked on
tour? Do you send a roadie to the dump at each
stop?
Last tour, we went to a recycling place and picked up 14
or 15 microwaves. I have to say, the old American ones are
much better quality than the new Panasonics and
Pioneers. Not only do they look better with their incredibly charming wood effect, but they’re made of heavy steel,
so they actually sound better too.And they withstand punishment. If we’re doing a 30-day tour, the microwaves will
normally last two shows before they’re totally destroyed.
The baseball bats last a bit longer—about five or six
shows.
Do you have to tell concerned parties that the bat
is just a stage prop?
It’s good security. Like in Spinal Tap when the guy’s got his
cricket bat. But since we’re all totally serious about what
we’re doing, even though beating that thing is funny, it’s
funny/scary in an interesting way. I always find something
fresh about it that I take pleasure in. F
FILTER mini 5
GOODS
Filter’s
Fall DVD Release Picks
......................................................................................
AQUA TEEN HUNGER
FORCE,VOL. FOUR:
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When
the Weird
movies. It was all violence.
Tunde: This’ll totally be the “cool-away” for the entire
interview, but I heated up little pins and tried to poke
them through this Ninja Turtle’s fist to make him a
Wolverine Mutant Ninja Turtle.At that point my brother was just like, “You know this is the height of dorkdom.”
Yoni: No way! That’s about the hardest shit I’ve ever
heard.You brought him up.
Tunde: I tried. I had a lot of time on my hands.
Turn
Pro
by Louis Vlach
Good Music created by Good People just has a certain ring to it. It’s a barely perceptible common note that
runs just under the wavelength, and vibrates at a frequency that supercedes genres, scenes and the cynicism of
those waiting in the wings with sharpened pen-points and hungry eyes. And what’s more, the Good People that
make the Good Music can hear that ring loud and clear.They know their own. Meet Tunde Adebimpe, one-time
comic book artist, part-time music video director, and full-time voice of TV on the Radio. Meet Yoni Wolf,
painter, poet, Anticon lynchpin, and—once one-third of cLOUDDEAD, now frontman of Why?—avant-rap
songbird turned indie rock underdog.
It’s a little known fact that TV on the Radio were listening to cLOUDDEAD while they were recording the
Young Liars EP (revisit the droning, sparsely decorated crunch of “Blind”), but this is a meeting that’s been long
in the making. With Why?’s new album Elephant Eyelash vibrating the hell out of fans, friends and critics alike
(Tunde’s review: “It’s freaking dope.”), Mini thought it was time to discuss honesty, experimentation, exposure
and…Milli Vanilli.
Mini: You two have a lot in common. You’ve
both worked across several mediums…
Yoni: I heard you do claymation stuff—that’s great.
Tunde: Yeah, I do stop motion puppet animation. I’m
trying to keep it going. It’s my favorite type of animation. But more and more it seems like no one really
wants to see it. Computer animation is the preferred
medium these days.
Yoni: That computer shit is ugly though! I mean,
Gumby blew up.
Tunde: Gumby was real as fuck. [Laughing] For our
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new stuff I really want to do a bit of stop motion for the
videos. It’d be fun to do and it would be nice to have
the time to do it.
Yoni: Yeah it takes time. I dabbled in that as a kid. My
dad [a rabbi] had an editing suite in the basement
because he used to write these feature religious films
and sell them on VHS.
Tunde: Wow! Like scripture stories with actors?
Yoni: Yeah, except in modern times with horrible
fucking actors. My brother and I would use the stop
motion function on his editing decks to make little
YONI WOLF PHOTO BY TABITHA SOREN.TUNDE ADEBIMPE PHOTO COURTESY TOUCH & GO.
TV on the Radio vs. Why?
Mini:There’s a lot to be said for the overbearing
need to just create. With so much media oversaturation these days, is that neurotic energy
what it takes to create honest music?
Yoni: I think it’s just being an honest person.
Tunde: Yeah that’s almost exactly it. There’s so much
you’re obviously being lied to about on a daily basis.
Whether a pop-up is coming up on the computer or
you’re listening to a commercial on the radio or on TV,
the tone of all of that shit is so crass and cold and plastic. It’s not coming out and saying the one thing it
wants to, which is, “Please give us your money.”
I just started making music by mixing on a fourtrack. It was an extension of my
sketchbook and my journal—it
didn’t have a form. I wasn’t
thinking, “Okay, now where am
I going to fly the hook?” It occupies—maybe it’s the same for
you, Yoni—the same space as
sketching or painting.
Yoni: What you’re saying right
now is me exactly. The earliest
shit I did wasn’t music to me, it was just recording. It
was sound that related to journal entries.
Tunde: When people say that our stuff sounds weird
and experimental I’m like, “Are you kidding me? It has
a beginning, middle and end.” But it’s strange once it
gets out of your hands and beyond your circle of
friends, and all of a sudden it’s in somebody’s car next
to the Hives and it’s so different.
Yoni: What’s weird is that something like what you do
or what we do can be sitting in the car next to the
Hives. Because when I pop your stuff in, it doesn’t
sound like this thing that’s supposed to be bought and
sold, it sounds like actual human beings expressing
themselves. I’m not trying to diss the Hives, but a lot of
that stuff sounds too perfect. It reminds you of the popups on your computer. Maybe not the Hives, but…
Tunde:We could list 10 bands right now that exist just
to be bought and sold. But we won’t because we’re
gentlemen.
Mini: TV on the Radio has done so well, and
Yoni, your lyrics seem to show a little discomfort toward Why?’s newfound fame. Is it weird
having people pay attention?
Yoni: There’s good and bad with it. To me, the lyrics
and the music are part of this secret world that I live
in, this private thing. On the one hand it’s really cool.
I was a shy kid and it’s good for me to be able to put it
out there and have people know where I’m really coming from. But it’s weird too. It’s this secret dialogue
that I have with myself, that over the past seven years
I’ve started to send around…and…sell.
Tunde:Yeah, yeah. Exactly.
Yoni: And it still weirds me out when someone knows
a lyric, I’m like, “Howdoyouknowthat?!?”
Tunde: “Oh yeah, that’s an outside thought now.”
Yoni: And, you know, all the money stuff, touring and
everybody staring at you while you’re staring at them
on stage. There’s this almost God-like aura around
singers which is just poisonous. It’s not natural and it’s
not holy. It’s wholly unholy! It can ruin you as a person. It can tear at you like the fucking Gollum’s ring.
You gotta leave Gandalf the ring, man, it’ll pull you in.
Tunde: [Laughing] I totally know what you’re saying
“Oh yeah, that’s
an outside
thought now.”
but you have to realize that there are examples of what
not to do all around us. That’s the one thing I credit
VH1 with. I love that shit because it’s so tragic. I didn’t give a fuck about Milli Vanilli until I saw Behind the
Music. By the end of that, I was genuinely like, “Whoa.”
Yoni: I was going to hire some handsome dudes to
start playing me in videos but not after I realized
that—
Tunde: That it would push one of them over the edge.
But it really is ridiculous and stupid and unnatural to
be on an elevated platform in front of someone
screaming your head off. I used to be insanely shy and
the only trick I’ve learned is that a huge part of you has
to have such a big sense of humor about it.
Yoni: Regardless, it’s just cool that at this point people can have a voice and still be weird and still be
themselves. That’s encouraging.
Tunde: I think it’s great. It shocks me on a daily
basis. F
FILTER mini 7
What the hell is this? How did we get here?
Why is everyone wearing masks?
Well…these things are complicated. There’s no easy
answer really, not without following hip-hop back to
its inception, down through a million-mile-long line
of parading colorful characters, each with his or her
own crazy or cool or clever or crunk and a name/
persona/costume/mic-grip/B-boy pose/whatever
to go with it. It’s no secret that hip-hop has long
been our nation’s greatest venue for the delectable
drama of good method acting. And much of the
movement’s appeal, doubtless, comes from how
seemingly easy it would be to don the mask of one’s
choice and join up. Be you hero or villain when you
dream at night, there is a place for you here. Be you
rebellious, downtrodden youth, or bored comic
book geek, welcome.
So MF Doom and Dangermouse—each indie-rap
royalty in his own right—found one another. No sur-
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prise there. That Adult Swim found them is, well, a
sign of the times really. While The Mouse and the Mask
(Doom’s raps, DM’s beats, themes and guest pestering thanks to the many voices of the Adult Swim universe) may not offer any grand artistic statement, it’s
a high-flying flag for the merging of our underground pop cultures, geeky and otherwise. Which is
where we, Filter—documentarians, occasional instigators and geeks—come in. In an unprecedented
[choose one: bout of artistic vision/lack of common
sense], we’ve hired Adult Swim’s own resident hero
Space Ghost to do our dirty work. Long [choose one:
retired/banned from all public airways], he jumped
at the opportunity to flex his interview skills again.
And his biceps. So in the ever-irreverent spirit of
another group of great late-night innovators: and
now, for something completely different.
live from ghost planet...
[A rickety screen descends from the ceiling of the abandoned Space Ghost Coast to Coast studio. Space Ghost,
face down on the desk, jumps to attention, causing a small
avalanche of half-empty booze bottles to spill out onto the
floor. Somewhere a lightbulb explodes.]
Space Ghost: Greetings Charlie. Tell us about your
mask, did you buy it at the gift shop in Hell?
MF Doom:Yes, the depths of hell.
Space Ghost: And did you use stolen money to buy it?
MF Doom: Right.
Space Ghost: Music that jams pitchforks up your thing?
Danger Mouse: No, that was a long time ago.
Space Ghost: Seems like yesterday to me. I mean like,
right now.
Danger Mouse: I think you got the wrong DM.
Space Ghost: I once went two weeks without a B.M.
Danger Mouse: I once went without talking for two
weeks. I can also count cards.
Space Ghost: I can count my own teeth with my own
tongue. Hang on…one…
Danger Mouse: I used to write for my school paper in
high school.
Space Ghost: Did you ever have a pitchfork jammed in
your thing?
Danger Mouse: Not that I can think of, really.
Space Ghost: …wait a minute–two…
Danger Mouse: I did film reviews.
Space Ghost: Really?
Danger Mouse: I’m more into music these days.
Space Ghost: Did you review my movie about how I
saved Thanksgiving?
FILTER mini 8
MF Doom: [awkward silence]
Space Ghost: Did you?
Danger Mouse: I walked out of a restaurant without paying on a dare a few days ago.
Space Ghost: Really? What was the dare? I dare you to not
tell me.
MF Doom: Walking out of a restaurant counts as threefourths dastardly.
Space Ghost: I dared a deer once.Wait, Dare to Dare, that
was the name of my movie…and you stole it!
Danger Mouse: I was broke and it was just a get rich
quick scheme, really.
Space Ghost: Mask thing! Rated R!
MF Doom: [extended awkward silence]
Danger Mouse: I like Doom’s whole mask thing. Adult
Swim begged us for about a year ’til we gave in.
Space Ghost: I haven’t worked in three years. Because of
my drinking, which it had nothing to do with.
Danger Mouse: We watched every episode of every
Adult Swim show.
Space Ghost: Except mine.
Danger Mouse: I think Doom may have skipped a Space
Ghost episode or two, though.
Space Ghost: I don’t remember the last nine years.Was it
funny?
MF Doom: It was business.
Space Ghost: Funny drinking business?
Danger Mouse:The Adult Swim stuff is just funnier than
any sitcoms on network TV.Aqua Teen Hunger Force is our
favorite cartoon out there right now.
Space Ghost: Zorak’s a funny cartoon.
Danger Mouse: Zorak doesn’t really like me, not sure
why.
Space Ghost: I know why—because of his drinking.
Danger Mouse: We’re gonna try to get him on the next
album, I think.
Space Ghost: I could help sell your album, with my new
job at Turtles. I have my own register and I’m in charge of
flyers for movies that are rated R, and I get to wear this
wicked cape.
MF Doom: Doom does not promote wickedness.
Space Ghost: I have to go now, and prepare for my date
with Stevie Nicks—Stevie Ray Nicks.Who’s bad now?
[Space Ghost flies off.]
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This has all been a very
natural progression.
It’s a very quick,
to-the-point way to
entertain and get points
across. When we can get
behind characters,
cartoons even, it’s easier
to detach and be
entertained ourselves.
— Danger mouse
WHAT’S IN A MASK?
A point-by-point comparison between the faceplates of MF Doom and his conceptual progenitor, Doctor Doom.
t The Story t
t powers t
MF Doom: Never mild-mannered.
As K.M.D.’s Zev Love X, Daniel Dumile was one of
the Golden Era’s most militant MCs. When his
brother/partner died in a car accident, Zev disappeared only to show up five years later, masked and
anonymous.(+2 villain points)
Doctor Doom: Mommy?
After his mother lost her soul in a shit-deal with the
devil, a young Victor von Doom vowed to free her
from hell. One such attempt literally exploded in
his face. Being extremely vain and needing an M.O.
for revenge, he donned the mask. (-1 villain
point)
MF Doom: From the mouths of Metal Faces.
Says Doom, “It helps in avoiding assault charges.
Within it is possessed all the powers of the universe.
With some slight adjustments it would allow me to
breathe in deepest space.” Recently rust-proofed.
(+1 villain point)
Doctor Doom: Eek!
Pros: Command-activated, high-powered electric
shock delivered to anyone who touches it. Infrared
scanners help detect pesky invisible heroes. Shoots
force-blasts of concussive bolts when not worn. Con:
clapping sends it on the fritz. (+3 villain points)
t origin t
MF Doom: Forged in the depths of…Hollywood?
Hours of archival research (read: Google image
searches) revealed a striking similarity between
MF’s mask and that worn by Russell Crowe in the
film Gladiator. (-2 villain points)
Doctor Doom: Something old, something new.
Originally crafted by Tibetan monks; later enhanced
by Doom himself, genius scientist, with nuclear and
computerized flourishes. Made out of titanium
alloy. (+2 villain points)
FINAL SCORE t
t Aesthetic VS. Function t
MF Doom: Practical metal chic.
A little cumbersome to wear while rapping, but the
perpetual mad-face is a plus. Unlike the Doctor’s
mask, the mouth is clear for the imbibing of spirits,
herbs and spices, candy rappers, and fair maidens.
(+3 villain points)
Doctor Doom: Instant recognizable evil.
The oppressive lack of expression comes in handy
when world-dominating, but the mouthpiece looks
like it came from one of those spark-spitting Nunzilla
toys. Also, he can’t eat donuts. (+1 villain point)
MF Doom: 4; Doctor Doom: 5
FILTER mini 9
more and more complicated musically as we went on,
and rightly so. But we decided to do something that’s
just really basic, that you can dance to and play live to
an audience that wants to dance.
Well, the album is a great party album…
I hope so. I’ve been told that if you put it on at home,
girls take their clothes off spontaneously.
You know, I should try that.
You’ve got to be very careful.
I think I’ll throw caution to the wind.
Yeah, go on! I’m just saying if your granny’s there, or
your auntie or something, it could get a bit complicated.
So that’s where the real danger begins?
That’s the danger in Dangermen.
25
Over the years, Madness has broken up and
reformed more than once. Do the reunions
ever surprise you?
I don’t know about being surprised any more; it’s happened so many times. It’s a very intense process, being
in a band, and it also is quite juvenile in a lot of ways
and sometimes you want to have a bit more maturity
in your life. But we’ve found a way now of managing
Years of
Madness
The Ghost Train Comes In
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I agree that there is an honesty in your
records that a lot of bands—a lot of ska
bands—haven’t been able to capture, for
whatever reason.
There’s something about that, about ska music being
seen as this happy-go-lucky kind of thing. I think some
people think that just by jumping up and down and playing the offbeat really fast that you’re going to create
some kind of joy. It takes a lot more than that. F
THE FIVE MOST INFLUENTIAL ALBUMS IN HIS COLLECTION
The Clash – The Clash (Epic, 1977)
“Such a great period. Punk really
opened a lot of doors for people like
me and for kids who couldn’t play
very well. No one can really imagine
what an exciting time that was in London. One of the
best albums ever made.”
The Specials – The Specials
(Chrysalis, 1979)
“The Specials’ first album is a truly
fantastic album in the same vein as The
Clash. It has the same energy and life
and realistic view of the world.”
PHOTO: TONY McGEE
were playing a concert and discovered there was another band with the name. So we just picked a song from
our set and it was “Madness.” “My Girl” just didn’t sound
like it was going to be a good title for the band.
Is there a ska revival right now?
No. There are no ska bands. There are a lot of bands
that have the same attitude we had, and refer to us, but
I don’t see any ska bands around in England. Apart
from 1979 when there were the Specials and the
Selecter, I’ve never really seen a ska revival of any consequence. We’re just playing the music that we were
inspired by. It’s like if Ry Cooder wanted to play the
blues—people going back to the music that made
them. It was very simple, very basic music. We got
What’s the secret of longevity?
Well, I have to say I’m humbled by the fact that people
still like what we do…I’ve never been asked this question. When you make a record, it’s not just the notes
and the words—it’s what’s going on in your mind and
what’s going on in the collective mind of the band, and
I think when we were making all of our records there
were a lot of good things happening. And something
resonates. I don’t know what it is. It’s a sort of reality,
that’s the only thing that I can say—a mutual experience. I think a lot of records are made by people who
don’t really give a fuck about what they’re putting on
them.When you see these videos that we did, you can
see that we’re having a great time.
The World According to Suggs
by Benjy Eisen
“We’re dead! We all died in a car crash,” jokes Graham “Suggs” McPherson, the voice of Madness, preemptively ducking any “Where are they now?” (and “How fine are their houses?”) questions. But the truth is,
they’re not dead. They haven’t even been hibernating. They’ve just been…abroad. Madness achieved superstar status in England years before “Our House” propelled them to American fame in 1982. And they remain
a U.K. staple (“We could play to 30,000 people next week—always—in this country,” notes Suggs) long
after MTV abandoned their videos in favor of beach houses and porky white boys who rap about…pork.
Commemorating 25 years as a band (on-and-off), Madness played a week’s worth of stealth shows in the
Camden pub where it all began under the moniker Dangermen, performing many of the songs they covered
starting out. Word got out, London shows got booked, and an album—The Dangermen Sessions,Volume 1—
dropped. Brilliant!
Madness got its name from a Prince Buster
song, its first album was called One Step
Beyond—also a Prince Buster song—and its
first single was “The Prince.” If one didn’t
know the ensuing history, one might assume
that Madness was a tribute act.
He was a huge influence on the band. He had the kind
of humor that we like, and rhythmically and energetically his music suited us very much. At the beginning we
had “The Prince,” which was a tribute to Prince Buster,
on the Two-Tone label.Then we joined Stiff Records and
the first single they wanted was “One Step Beyond.”We
had a big argument because we didn’t want to be quite
so Prince Buster oriented. It was just a series of coincidences. We were originally called the Invaders and we
to make it so that we can have a normal life and still be
in this particular business every now and then.
Augustus Pablo – King Tubby
Meets Rockers Uptown
(Shanachie, 1976)
“Dub music was such an amazing revelation, like psychedelic music was
for people in the ’60s. That was our psychedelic music
in the ’70s.We had just started smoking and all that and
it was absolutely mind-blowing. This record had a profound effect on me.”
The Kinks – Muswell Hillbillies
(Velvel, 1971)
“I like the notion of being able to
write about very small everyday
things in some kind of poetic and
slightly filmic way.”
Ian Dury – New Boots and
Panties!! (Demon, 1977)
“Because of his look or humor. And
also because he sang in the vernacular. A lot of people in England sing in
an American accent.Although that’s not such an important thing, when I was young I thought that was quite
important.”
FILTER mini 10
REVIEWS
One-Liners:
A miniature take on selected Filter Magazine reviews
...........................................................................................................................
(Go to Filter-Mag.com or pick up Filter Magazine’s Fall Issue for full reviews.)
%
Z
RCA
A Kentucky night spent shoegazing
through whiskey eyes, riding in the back of a pickup
truck to nowhere in particular, and not caring one bit.
Broken Social Scene
%
%
%
Howl
BMG
BRMC Xerox pages from all the classics
at the Rock and Roll Library, losing little in resolution.
Blackalicious
%
The Craft
AntiTwo parts lyrical mastery, one-cup liquid
soul, pour hot on bed of steaming basslines—Bootsy!
Death Cab for Cutie
Ladytron
%
The Witching Hour
Rykodisc
Spooky electro that has nothing to do
with monsters or mashing, unless of course you’ve got
a Krautrock lurking in the closet.
Depeche Mode
%
Playing the Angel
Mute
Twenty years later and Goth kids (plus
regular ones) are still swallowing this stuff like candy—
black candy.With razorblades.
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%
Tournament of Hearts
Sub Pop
Fresno’s gay football team was honored
when the band took their slogan—“Sophistication,
Romanticism, Swagger”—as inspiration.
Cocorosie
%
Noah’s Ark
Touch and Go
Scattered freaky folk sputterings made up
for by the bitchin’ unicorn three-way on the cover.
Grandaddy
%
Excerpts from the Diary...
V2
Finally, someone tackles trash consumer
culture from an educated white male perspective.
Three cheers for redundancy!
%
Plans
Atlantic
All hail the Metamucil of the indie
game—keeping it smooth and regular.
%
Odditorium or Warlords...
Capitol
Delusions of relevance make for great
conversations and just-above-mediocre Ameri-Brit-pop.
The Constantines
The Mouse and the Mask
Epitaph
Eccentric masked hip-hop icons team up
with absurdist cartoon characters! Bring forth the bong!
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
%
Strange Geometry
Merge
Subtle strings and sparkling production
make this the pricey champagne of dreamy Brit-psych.
The Dandy Warhols
Broken Social Scene
Arts & Crafts
Our upstairs neighbors warm us up (like
maple syrup) to the upside of “jamming.”
DangerDoom
The Clientele
Orenda Fink
%
Invisible Ones
Saddle Creek
Fink sinks with human condition kinks
and redemption/ascension links—we like Azure Ray
better, methinks.
Lost Patrol
75%
The Lost Patrol Band
Burning Heart/Epitaph
Former Refused frontman squanders his
last buck-fifty of cred on Dance Dance Revolution.
FILTER
ALBUM
RATINGS
My Morning Jacket
91-100%
81-90%
71-80%
61-70%
Below 60%
¬
¬
¬
¬
¬
a great album
above par, below genius
respectable, but flawed
not in my CD player
please God, tell us why
FILTER mini 11
REVIEWS
CD
Reviews
...........................................................................................................................
Why?
%
Elephant Eyelash
Anticon
Welcome to the Crooked Rain, Crooked
Rain of our modern indie times. Here you will find all
the shiny, disparate bits of this movement—the pieces
held high by those paying attention or lost to the shuffle of the Great Recurring Co-Opt—congealed and
coherent in the form of no less than 12 inspired/
unique/surprising/playful/geeky/cool/emotive/absurdist/amazing songs. Why? has been skirting greatness for years, and with Elephant Eyelash, the arpeggiating guitars, the collagist tendencies, the distortion and
desolation, the gorgeous imagery of the words and the
wiry drawled-out vocals all come together magnificently. Buy this. Now. CHRIS MARTINS
Rogue Wave
%
Descended Like Vultures
Sub Pop
So I can’t use any of the clever “wave”
metaphors I planned for this review, given the recent
slew of levee-breakings. But be assured, they were brilliant. I can say that the follow up to Out of the Shadow
finds Zack Rogue and Co. more of a company indeed.
It’s a true band effort, with the same harmonies and
tongue-in-cheek earnestness, banged out a little harder
and admittedly a little less lovely.A bit roguish, perhaps?
Now there’s a metaphor sure to hurt nobody’s feelings
but my own. PAT McGUIRE
Gang of Four
%
Return the Gift
V2
Turns out the four lads that more-or-less
birthed this whole gang of 21st Century art-slashdance, rock-slash-punk copycats are like, still alive and
slashing. And judging by the ferocity with which they
attack a sampling of their greatest hits on this new
(old) album, they’re pretty pissed we forgot. It’s the
musical equivalent of Mr. Miyagi sweeping the leg of
the “beginner luck,” fly-catching Daniel-san, then giving him a sly wink.The old man’s still got it.
BRYAN CHENAULT
Múm
%
Yesterday Was Dramatic Today is OK
Morr Music
If only my imaginary wife would get off of the imagi12 FILTER
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nary pill. Then we could have an imaginary child and
the three of us could spend languid afternoons listening
to the percussive soundscapes of Múm’s 2000 release
(remastered and reissued) Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today
is OK. We could indulge in the idyllic torpor of our
imaginary union, our tender love echoed by Múm’s
sweeping harmonies. But, alas, my imaginary wife is
just that, and the album is a doting lament of bliss unrealized. PATRICK JAMES
Jerry Lee Lewis
%
The (Complete) Session
Hip-O Select
This ’73 “super session” (scoff, scoff) pits
the Ferriday Fireball against a small army of British
rockers in a two-disc death match of ’50s rock, blues
and R&B (“Johnny B. Goode,” “Big Boss Man”), a host of
his own hits, and some head-scratching covers (“Sea
Cruise,” “Satisfaction”). Ultimately, it’s more killer than
filler, with the limeys (including Alvin Lee, Albert Lee,
Kenny Jones and Rory Gallagher) proving they’ve got
the huevos to keep up with the deadliest gunslinger
from the Sun Records corral. PAUL GAITA
Deerhoof
%
The Runners Four
Kill Rock Stars
Remember that time you accepted a
laced joint from some guy named Snake? Deerhoof’s
latest is a little like that. It deconstructs and reconstructs pop the way the joint did your brain, replacing
anticipated melodies with the unexpected and traditional singing with the highly affected. Familiar yet subversive, this freakpop opus commandeers the conscience when you least expect its goofy touch. But
unlike that special doobie, The Runners Four will leave
you feeling uplifted, not heaving BBQ in the bathroom
at SXSW. CATHERINE ADCOCK
The Like
%
Are You Thinking What
I’m Thinking?
Geffen Records
Who doesn’t love summer? Pool parties, water balloon
fights, ice cream socials, and syrupy, velvet-lined rockpop courtesy of underage L.A. female power-trios.The
Like have a cult following of the young and restlessly
nostalgic, and for good reason—their debut LP sports
a sunny mix of catchy hooks, that heat-induced “June
Gloom” and good old sweaty rock. And all that stuff
IN STORES NOW
ALBUM FEATURES TRACKS WITH
STEPHEN MARLEY, BOUNTY KILLER, EEK-A-MOUSE, NAS, BLACK THOUGHT (OF THE ROOTS)
AND BOBBY BROWN. PRODUCED BY STEPHEN MARLEY & DAMIAN MARLEY
www.damianmarleymusic.com
c 2005 Universal Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
AVAILABLE AT
aside, we’re talking girls with instruments, poolside
shenanigans and ice cream. I think the thermometer
just popped.
CHRISTOPH BARCLAY
Various Artists
%
Children of Nuggets
Rhino
Eighties nostalgia is sick and wrong,
but if you absolutely must pine for
pop culture from that decade, why not
wrap your heart around some great
but unheralded garage rock? With the Children box,
Rhino applies their obsessive archaeology to four
discs’ worth of gritty Reagan-era whap-a-dang and
jangle-pop by the likes of such under-the-radar
fliers as the Lyres, Smithereens, Soft Boys,
Fleshtones, Cramps, Hoodoo Gurus, and…hey, the
Bangles? Yeah, them too. It beats the hell out of trotting out those fucking jelly shoes. PAUL GAITA
Atmosphere
%
You Can’t Imagine
How Much Fun We’re Having
Rhymesayers
Despite lighthearted lyrics like, “I’m just a cat looking for a lap to crash in,” and, “Make a toast to the
butter knife,” you won’t catch this Minneapolis MC
cuttin’ up. Maybe that’s the problem. For somebody
that sports a “Misogyny is a Bitch” wife-beater, it’s a
shame that Slug’s good humor lies hidden behind the
hard delivery and perma-scowl. When witty words
are suffocated by starch-straight venom-spittin’,
they’re about as sharp as, well, a butter knife.
BRYAN CHENAULT
Dirty Three
%
Cinder
Touch & Go
Treat your libido to another bedroomeyed glance at the above: “Dirty Three,” “Touch & Go,”
“88%.” Doesn’t that sound like a silk-sheeted good
time? (If only my ears and conscience had let me give it
a 69%.) On Cinder, the violin/guitar/drums Aussie trio
is up to their same old dirty tricks again—fortunately,
that’s the good dirty.Throw in a sultry Cat Power guest
appearance and you’ll be forced to change the sheets.
Again. PAT McGUIRE
Dungen
%
Stadsvandringar (reissue)
Astralwerks
A notice to the loyal subjects and minions
of of his royal majesty, King Crimson: Fear not! The
reissue of Dungen’s Stadsvandringar will not likely
usurp thy throne. Nevertheless, be wary of these crafty
Swedes. This record (like its already-stateside follow13 FILTER
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up) could still threaten America’s psychedelic terrain.
How? Well—much like listening to a hippie priest
exorcise the spirit of George Harrison from Robert
Fripp’s body—there’s something about this layered,
organic psychedelia sung in foreign tongue that we just
can’t resist. PATRICK JAMES
The Band
%
A Musical History
Reprise
When is your box (in this case,
book) set not an overpriced
paperweight?
1) When you’ve backed both
Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan.
2) When you’ve played with both Muddy Waters and
Van Morrison.
3) When Martin Scorcese made a film about your final
performance.
4) When you’ve avoided being sampled by P-Diddy or
reunited on VH1.
5) When you cram all of this onto five CDs and one
amazing biography.
6) When A Musical History isn’t a cliched title.
It’s a fact. Study up. DAVID ISKRA
Boards of Canada
%
The Campfire Headphase
Warp
Crisp and layered like a long winter
sunset, The Campfire Headphase melts in slowmotion. After two albums of cloistered, candle-lit
collaging, it seems Boards of Canada are still illuminating their lightly warped groove and crackling
analog dust in the face of another beefy-beat era.
This time it’s either Kompakt’s slinky thump or
DFA’s steely disco in place of Jungle’s metallic clutter, but BoC remain placid outsiders.
IS BACK WITH THEIR HIGHLY
ANTICIPATED NEW ALBUM
BERNARDO RONDEAU
The Earlies
%
These Were the Earlies
Secretly Canadian
In the movie Contact, Jodie Foster has
been catapulted into a universe of pastel clouds and
huge expanses of emptiness and light. So, what’s the
problem? They should have sent a poet. The Earlies
would have had no such conundrum. They also
wouldn’t have fit all 8,000 members and their bassoons in the cramped space-pod, but assuming they
could’ve, they’d have made this: an epic album of
warm organs and bleeps and glowing, electric nebulae and pianos and shimmering dust from planet
Mercury Rev, and an in-your-ear voice telling you
not to worry, Matthew McConaughey is a universe
away. LESLEY BARGAR
IN STORES
g
NOW
©2005 GEFFEN RECORDS.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
VISIT WWW.FLOETRY.NET FOR MUSIC, TOUR DATES, & LATEST NEWS.
ALSO AVAILABLE:
FLOETRY FLOETIC
FLOETRY FLOACISM
FILTER mini 13
Digable Planets
%
Beyond the Spectrum:
The Creamy Spy Chronicles
Blue Note
Welcome to Planet Digable. If you’re new here, please
proceed to Ye Herb Shoppe, where you’ll find plenty of
your kind waiting in line for the complimentary dub
sack, knit cap with dreadlocks, and copy of this “best
of.” The songs on Beyond are pure classics, but with no
additional liner notes, two ho-hum B-sides, and a complete lack of context for the creation of jazzy headhop’s most influential album couplet, skip this (and the
inevitable Fugees reunion record) and pick up all two of
the records by this seminal trio. CHRIS MARTINS
Metric
%
Live It Out
Last Gang
2003’s OldWorld Underground was a swinging blast of choppy guitar, awesome synthesizers and
sexy urban disaffection. Not ones to repeat themselves,
Metric do away with the keyboard sleaze in favor of big,
blazing guitar-riff cock-age on their latest, and while
the new album rocks harder, it packs less in the way of
pure electro-pop bliss. Even so, Live It Out is another
thoroughly enjoyable record from this Canuck quartet
and further proof that Metric is much, much cooler
than I am. JOSHUA GARDNER
Ryan Adams
%
Jacksonville City Nights
Lost Highway
The city of Jacksonville was of course
named after Andrew Jackson, who was distinctly southern, toughly sad, and a huge fan of the slide guitar. The
same can be said of Ryan Adams and his new album
Jacksonville City Nights, which sounds as if Ryan and
friends (including an ever-sultry Norah Jones) had a
few too many down at the Honky Tonk, got up on stage
and let it all out. Old Hick’ry would’ve been proud.
TODD BERGER
The (International)
Noise Conspiracy
%
Armed Love
Warner Brothers
Have you, like me, always craved an album that
explodes with sound and chides you for your capitalist
swine-iness? Well then thanks be due to Rick Rubin,
who captures the ass-shaking, politico bravado of selfdescribed “revolutionary, anti-capitalist, Marxist,
Communist” rockers t(I)NC on this, their third fulllength. Lyrics like, “Just give me a black mask baby,”
and, “Let’s all share our dreams under a Communist
moon,” underscore this fusion of raging R&B and
relentless punk energy. Certainly, Karl Marx is rolling
(and rocking) in his grave. PATRICK JAMES
Brian Wilson
%
What I Really Want For
Christmas
J Records
It’s Ho-Ho-Ho Day, as bright and shiny as a new
Danelectro from Brother Brian and band. Yeah—
Christmas records, yawn—but before you get all
Grinchy, check out the SMiLE-style sheen Mr. Wilson
puts on eight classic Xmas tunes, and send a thank you
card for the two Beach Boys re-dos and two originals,
including the wonderfully ornamental title track If you
aren’t in the eggnog spirit after one listen, then Shalom
to you. PAUL GAITA
The Beta Band
%
The Best of the
Beta Band
Astralwerks
You wrote off the Beta Band after their second
release, but they understood—you were confused,
betrayed, uncertain. Now-defunct, they’re trying to
make amends by bringing you their best and brightest. You may never rekindle your Beta flame, but
you’d be smart to remember that, at its best, the band
was nothing less than epic, able to raise a minutelong, layered loop to the status of a heroic guitar solo.
Forgive, just don’t forget. CATHERINE ADCOCK
Supergrass
%
Road to Rouen
Capitol
For a lot of bands—especially those
that broke onto the scene as spastic teens blazing
through Buzzcocky rockers--maturity can mean
making marginalized music the way motherhood
means mental freeze (kudos, Kim Deal). But grownup Gaz and older bro Rob continue to guide these
anti-geezers (both American and U.K. usages apply)
through gently sublime, piano-perfect rollicking on
Rouen. Only problem is, with just eight full songs,
it’s like Sunday driving around a cul-de-sac.
%
Metropolis
Arena Rock
The band that brings you the glossiest
liner-notes inside (or outside) of Portland also brings
you, um, some songs with some instruments and some
singing. And a keyboard. No really, this album lacks
focus, and chances are Ben Gibbard could’ve helped
them find it. Sure, Swords are a bit darker and scoop
more electronic than their “cutie” Seattle-bound soundalikes, but where the Portland rainfall may add some
dissonant gloom, it’s even more effective at washing the
oomph away. LESLEY BARGAR
Annie
%
DJ Kicks
K7
Planning a kick-ass shindig? Can’t find
the right DJ with the perfect combo of guilty pleasure pop and, “Oh, you haven’t heard of them?” cred?
I bring you Annie, Norwegian diva-cum-DJ. Of
course, hiring a European superstar may eat into your
helium budget, so pick up DJ Kicks—a collection of
the pop princess’ favorite party tracks, from singing
ladybugs to Gucci Crew II to Junior Senior’s spin on
Le Tigre. The only question that remains: Papa John’s
or Domino’s? TODD BERGER
The Celebration
%
The Celebration
4AD
Step right up! Yes, step right up and enter
the crazy world of throbbing Dionysian post-rock. Or,
for a scant 16 tickets you can enter the indie-psych
house of wax and see stunningly realistic representations of Blonde Redhead, Neon Blonde and yes, even
Arcade Fire! Let the sounds of the carnival organ take
you away to the mystical lands where everything is
unclassifiable and infectious, and always surreal. And
grab yourself a corn dog on the way out. MATT EPLER
% or ∞
Bagged and Boarded
Absolutely Kosher
Neither Lennon nor McCartney can lay
claim to the legacy laid down by the combo of balls
and cock. Up and out the vas deferens comes the
Devil’s song and this Goblin Cock jerks out a fiery
discharge of thick stringed bass and rumble. It’s a
bitter elixir of red semen poured from a sticky stone
chalice, which makes Bagged and Boarded a low groan
orgasm of recycled Kyuss riffs, or the best album
ever released in history. JAMES ARTESIAN
Brakes
BRYAN CHENAULT
Swords
Goblin Cock
%
Give Blood
Rough Trade
So turns out the Brits celebrate
Halloween a bit differently than us Yanks. Instead of
pumpkins, they carve turnips! Instead of candy, they
eat dice! And if you’re in a band, you dress up as the
Pixies! (Yup, all the bands…they’re British.) This
year, on Give Blood, Brakes (members of British Sea
Power, Electric Soft Parade, and Tenderfoot) went
with the Pixies-as-punk-rock/bluegrass-band-froman-alternate-universe outfit. Which, you’ve got to
admit, makes for a pretty bad-ass costume (if for the
footwear alone). TODD BERGER
radio singles chart
PRESENTED
BY
MEDIAGUIDE
The Filter Recommended Radio Chart is Filter’s compilation of our favorite college,
indie, modern rock and adult album alternative stations around the country that we know will
always bring you what Filter loves best: Good Music. This list of top-20 singles of the week is
made up of the most played songs of our select stations. Read on, and check filter-mag.com
every week to see what Filter and the in-the-know programmers across the country deem best.
1. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE “Soul Meets Body” (Barsuk / Atlantic)
2. IRON & WINE AND CALEXICO “He Lays in The Reins” (Overcoat)
3. FIONA APPLE “O’ Sailor” (Clean Slate / Epic / Sony BMG)
4. BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB “Ain’t No Easy Way” (Abstract
Dragon / RCA)
5. THE DANDY WARHOLS “All The Money Or The Simple Life Honey”
(Capitol)
6. FRANZ FERDINAND “Do You Want To” (Domino / Epic)
7. THE STROKES “Juicebox” (RCA)
8. IRON & WINE AND CALEXICO “History Of Lovers” (Overcoat)
9. KATE BUSH “King Of The Mountain” (EMI)
10. FIONA APPLE “Extraordinary Machine” (Clean Slate / Epic / Sony
BMG)
11. LADYTRON “Destroy Everything You Touch” (Rykodisc)
12. MY MORNING JACKET “Off The Record” (RCA / ATO)
13. DEPECHE MODE “Precious” (Sire / Reprise / Mute)
14. NADA SURF “Always Love” (Barsuk)
15. DEVENDRA BANHART “Now That I Know” (XL / Beggars Group)
16. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS “Twin Cinema” (Mint / Matador /
Beggars Group)
17. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE “Crooked Teeth” (Barsuk / Atlantic)
18. RYAN ADAMS & THE CARDINALS “The Hardest Part” (Lost Highway)
19. SIGUR RÓS “Saeglopur” (Geffen)
20. SIGUR RÓS “Hoppipolla” (Geffen)
Chart based on electronically monitored airplay data of the week of October 3rd, 2005 provided by
www.mediaguide.com for the following commercial and non-commercial radio stations: KCRW - Los Angeles, CA,
KDHX - St. Louis, MO, KDLE/KDLD - Newport Beach/Santa Monica, CA, KEXP - Seattle,WA, KITS - San Francisco,
CA, KOOP/KVRX - Hornsby/Austin,TX, KXLU - Los Angeles, CA, WAWL - Chattanooga,TN,WDBM - East Lansing,
MI, WDET - Detroit, MI, WFMU - East Orange, NJ, WFPK - Louisville, KY, WFUV - New York, NY, WKNC - Raleigh,
NC, WKQX - Chicago, IL, WRAS - Atlanta, GA, WRGP - Homestead, FL, WRVU - Nashville,TN, WTMD - Townson,
MD, WXPN - Philadelphia, PA, WYEP - Pittsburgh, PA.
GOOD:MUSIC:WILL:PREVAIL
tune in!
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