New Music!

[RGMike]

Anyone else hear the new America song that Dave played shortly before 7am?  Yes, they've made a comeback album (Here & Now, in keeping with their titles-that-start-with-"H" tradition). It sounded like any of the half-dozen other Coldplay/Death Cab/Fray/Keen emo-y clones that litter the KFOG playlist and make listening to the station kind of like an episode of Scrubs without the laughs.  I was dumbfounded when Dave identified the artist.

[urth]

Anyone else hear the new America song that Dave played shortly before 7am?  Yes, they've made a comeback album (Here & Now, in keeping with their titles-that-start-with-"H" tradition). It sounded like any of the half-dozen other Coldplay/Death Cab/Fray/Keen emo-y clones that litter the KFOG playlist and make listening to the station kind of like an episode of Scrubs without the laughs.  I was dumbfounded when Dave identified the artist.

I ran across a Sunday am cable talk show last weekend that had Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell on it, talking about their new record. Apparently, Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, That Thing You Do) had a hand in it--possibly even produced. I know he has a fondness for 70s and 80s cheeze, but what I heard on the show was nowhere even close to what they did then (which isn't saying a lot). They played one new song--it sounded entirely forgettable.

[Gazoo]

Anyone else hear the new America song that Dave played shortly before 7am?  Yes, they've made a comeback album (Here & Now, in keeping with their titles-that-start-with-"H" tradition). It sounded like any of the half-dozen other Coldplay/Death Cab/Fray/Keen emo-y clones that litter the KFOG playlist and make listening to the station kind of like an episode of Scrubs without the laughs.  I was dumbfounded when Dave identified the artist.

I ran across a Sunday am cable talk show last weekend that had Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell on it, talking about their new record. Apparently, Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, That Thing You Do) had a hand in it--possibly even produced. I know he has a fondness for 70s and 80s cheeze, but what I heard on the show was nowhere even close to what they did then (which isn't saying a lot). They played one new song--it sounded entirely forgettable.

The Voice gave it a pretty scathing review, though it doesn't get down to the specifics of what's *wrong* with it, or at least, what differentiates it from old America:

http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0703,marchese,75547,22.html

The Vapid '70s Folk-Rock Resurgence You Did Not Request Has Arrived
America's Here & Now
by David Marchese
January 16th, 2007 4:59 PM

Nothing ever tasted so sweet as the madeleines grandmother used to make. Nothing ever felt so free as running wild on the playground. No folk-rock jams ever grooved with the same sun-and-shadows charm as the ones that flowed forth from America's greatest-hits LP. At least that's what I imagine Ben Kweller, Ryan Adams, and My Morning Jacket's Jim James were thinking when they agreed to lend a hand on Here & Now, America's first major-label album in more than 20 years. Ex-Smashing Pumpkin James Iha and Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger must've also harbored a hard-on for West Coast folk-rock—they coproduced this curiosity. While all these '70s supplicants undoubtedly spent many a smoky Sunday morning with the burnished harmonies and MOR Neil Youngisms of "A Horse With No Name," "Sister Golden Hair," and some other less-good songs, this misguided effort to move America (Gerry Buckley and Dewey Bunnell) out of Arcadia and back into the real world has proven to be a cruel trick.

Here & Now does nothing to prompt reconsideration of the America oeuvre (which has its highest points revisited live on a second disc here). Nor do the new tunes suggest that Buckley and Bunnell aren't just as musically toothless and lyrically facile as you probably forgot they always were. Fittingly, one song is about chasing rainbows. Predictably, another song is about Indian summers. Sadly, the best song, "Golden," was written by James and sounds like Tom Petty in a mellow mood. Ringing acoustic guitars and melancholy harmonies drift indiscernably from track to track, arguing unconvincingly that this new America honors the memory of the band that lives only in the heads of the ones who tried to help.

[princessofcairo]

Here & Now does nothing to prompt reconsideration of the America oeuvre (which has its highest points revisited live on a second disc here). Nor do the new tunes suggest that Buckley and Bunnell aren't just as musically toothless and lyrically facile as you probably forgot they always were. Fittingly, one song is about chasing rainbows. Predictably, another song is about Indian summers. Sadly, the best song, "Golden," was written by James and sounds like Tom Petty in a mellow mood. Ringing acoustic guitars and melancholy harmonies drift indiscernably from track to track, arguing unconvincingly that this new America honors the memory of the band that lives only in the heads of the ones who tried to help.

nice snub with some funny lines. but somebody call the proofreading police!

[Gazoo]

Here & Now does nothing to prompt reconsideration of the America oeuvre (which has its highest points revisited live on a second disc here). Nor do the new tunes suggest that Buckley and Bunnell aren't just as musically toothless and lyrically facile as you probably forgot they always were. Fittingly, one song is about chasing rainbows. Predictably, another song is about Indian summers. Sadly, the best song, "Golden," was written by James and sounds like Tom Petty in a mellow mood. Ringing acoustic guitars and melancholy harmonies drift indiscernably from track to track, arguing unconvincingly that this new America honors the memory of the band that lives only in the heads of the ones who tried to help.

nice snub with some funny lines. but somebody call the proofreading police!

I am the proofreading police; what did I miss?

[princessofcairo]

Here & Now does nothing to prompt reconsideration of the America oeuvre (which has its highest points revisited live on a second disc here). Nor do the new tunes suggest that Buckley and Bunnell aren't just as musically toothless and lyrically facile as you probably forgot they always were. Fittingly, one song is about chasing rainbows. Predictably, another song is about Indian summers. Sadly, the best song, "Golden," was written by James and sounds like Tom Petty in a mellow mood. Ringing acoustic guitars and melancholy harmonies drift indiscernably from track to track, arguing unconvincingly that this new America honors the memory of the band that lives only in the heads of the ones who tried to help.

nice snub with some funny lines. but somebody call the proofreading police!

I am the proofreading police; what did I miss?

"indiscernably"

[SFGuy]

I don't know if anyone here likes Van Halen but apparently there is a good chance at a (almost) reunited Van Halen with David Lee Roth. The only difference is Michael Anthony won't with the group. It will be Eddie (now Edward) Van Halen's son Wolfgang (who is only 15). If all goes well there will be a 40 city summer tour.

Source for above is billboard.com.

On a side: even if you folks don't like Van Halen, what do you think of a 15 year old boy going on tour with a major band?

[Gazoo]

I don't know if anyone here likes Van Halen but apparently there is a good chance at a (almost) reunited Van Halen with David Lee Roth. The only difference is Michael Anthony won't with the group. It will be Eddie (now Edward) Van Halen's son Wolfgang (who is only 15). If all goes well there will be a 40 city summer tour.

Source for above is billboard.com.

On a side: even if you folks don't like Van Halen, what do you think of a 15 year old boy going on tour with a major band?

VALERIE BERTINELLI IS A BAD MOTHER

But more seriously, this has all the makings for utter disaster.  It's a no-win: If EVH and Diamond Dave don't get along, it's a shambles; and if they do, then Dave'll teach Wolfgang how to party, um, like a rock star.

[Gazoo]

Just saw on the Peak's recently played list that Guster's apparently done a cover of "This Wheel's on Fire."  Anyone heard it?  Curiosity is piqued.  Or, in this case, Peaked.

[urth]

Here & Now does nothing to prompt reconsideration of the America oeuvre (which has its highest points revisited live on a second disc here). Nor do the new tunes suggest that Buckley and Bunnell aren't just as musically toothless and lyrically facile as you probably forgot they always were. Fittingly, one song is about chasing rainbows. Predictably, another song is about Indian summers. Sadly, the best song, "Golden," was written by James and sounds like Tom Petty in a mellow mood. Ringing acoustic guitars and melancholy harmonies drift indiscernably from track to track, arguing unconvincingly that this new America honors the memory of the band that lives only in the heads of the ones who tried to help.

nice snub with some funny lines. but somebody call the proofreading police!

I am the proofreading police; what did I miss?

"indiscernably"

Hmmm. Not sure about that. The root is "indiscernible" but "indiscernibly" doesn't look right to me.

However, Gaz, I gotta point out another typo: it's Gerry Beckley, not Buckley. Per AMG anyway.

[Gazoo]

Here & Now does nothing to prompt reconsideration of the America oeuvre (which has its highest points revisited live on a second disc here). Nor do the new tunes suggest that Buckley and Bunnell aren't just as musically toothless and lyrically facile as you probably forgot they always were. Fittingly, one song is about chasing rainbows. Predictably, another song is about Indian summers. Sadly, the best song, "Golden," was written by James and sounds like Tom Petty in a mellow mood. Ringing acoustic guitars and melancholy harmonies drift indiscernably from track to track, arguing unconvincingly that this new America honors the memory of the band that lives only in the heads of the ones who tried to help.

nice snub with some funny lines. but somebody call the proofreading police!

I am the proofreading police; what did I miss?

"indiscernably"

Hmmm. Not sure about that. The root is "indiscernible" but "indiscernibly" doesn't look right to me.

However, Gaz, I gotta point out another typo: it's Gerry Beckley, not Buckley. Per AMG anyway.

"Indiscernibly" (correct sp per Webster's) was fixed in time for the print edition (content often gets pulled to the web before it's been proofread, to our regular chagrin).  Beckley, unfortunately, was not caught -- huzzahs once again to New Times for eliminating all fact-checking positions and reducing the copy department to such a size that it's impossible to do much fact-checking on our own.  I've called this one to the attention of the music and web editors in the hopes of getting it corrected online.  But along with my gratitude, I don't want this thread to devolve into a proofreading free-for-all.

[RGMike]

Anyone else hear the new America song that Dave played shortly before 7am?  Yes, they've made a comeback album (Here & Now, in keeping with their titles-that-start-with-"H" tradition). It sounded like any of the half-dozen other Coldplay/Death Cab/Fray/Keen emo-y clones that litter the KFOG playlist and make listening to the station kind of like an episode of Scrubs without the laughs.  I was dumbfounded when Dave identified the artist.

I ran across a Sunday am cable talk show last weekend that had Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell on it, talking about their new record. Apparently, Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, That Thing You Do) had a hand in it--possibly even produced. I know he has a fondness for 70s and 80s cheeze, but what I heard on the show was nowhere even close to what they did then (which isn't saying a lot). They played one new song--it sounded entirely forgettable.

FYI, the song in question "Always Love", I think it's called, is a cover of a Nada Surf tune.  Still sounds like bad emo to me.

[princessofcairo]

FYI, the song in question "Always Love", I think it's called, is a cover of a Nada Surf tune.  Still sounds like bad emo to me.

what's an example of good emo? i only mean that as a half-hearted dig: i've never been quite clear on what classifies as "emo."

[RGMike]

i've never been quite clear on what classifies as "emo."

anything you hear in an episode of "Scrubs" :wink:

[princessofcairo]

i've never been quite clear on what classifies as "emo."

anything you hear in an episode of "Scrubs" :wink:

um...i think i've seen the show once. maaybe. is that the one with the boy who was the son wh ojoins up with people in "waiting to exhale?" i saw about ten minutes of it on spanish television. i don't remember the music well. but it reminded me of "felicity."