Bad Brains and The Evens both have new ones, and well, I have copies of both. I don't want to be negative, so I'll just say that I was a big fan of Bad Brains, especially the "I against I" LP, but I'm not a fan of everything they do. While the Punky reggae they do is appreciated, this LP "Into the Future" lacks the crazed urgency that made them special. Perhaps it's time to put Bad Brains to bed.
The Evens on the other hand are decent, and actually pretty good when they concentrate on Amy Farina. I actually probably should like them a lot more than I do But, there it is. I don't entirely like them. Part of it is personality- Mr Mackaye and I have had dealings, very far in the past, and I don't like him all that much. Don't get me wrong- we all have off days, and we all change over the years, but I still don't care for the guy, as a person. There's some class issues, and other high minded stuff involved in that, but mainly, it's just a personality clash. But, musically, I also feel like I've heard the Evens before, and done better. When they rock out, they're in Sleater Kinney 's shadow, they're in a debt to K records ( in general) and when they try to be gentle, they're behind Unrest and Velocity Girl. My problem is that I'm already disqualifying myself for analysis because of the aforementioned personality issues. However, I hope I've generated enough goodwill through my candor that you'll understand that I think there's more worthy material out there by other bands in this area, even, than The Evens. For example, J Robbins can do no wrong- whether it's Jawbox, Burning Airlines, Channels or the Office of Future Plans, he's got you're post punk with a DC twist covered. Likewise, for carrying on the K records spirit but in a modern way, Wild Flag, Screaming Females, and a bit of a stretch, but The Dismemberment Plan... Again, I'm not saying that The Evens suck, and I'm not saying I hate the record, just that it doesn't get as much play from me because there are so many other things I prefer. That's about as much as I can say for the two big recent "local" releases.
Now, I'd like to get in a quick whine- Quicksand have reformed and will play this area, but dammit, they're playing at the fracking Black Cat. I really don't like that venue. I mean really don't like. The neighbourhood is beyond the usual uncertainty that rock clubs occupy- it's flat out bad. Parking sucks, and it's hard to get there from here, as well. While it's not as awkward and bad-sounding as the Ottobar, it is still awkward and bad sounding- so, my whine is this- why Walter why? Couldn't you book with the 930 club, or The Fillmore, or hell, Jaxx, or even the aforementioned Ottobar? I'm seriously having doubts about going to see Quicksand because I hate the venue so much. On a Tuesday night, no less? Arrrgh. Well, at least it's sold out, so my ticket might go to a good home....
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