Moving In Stereo: Volume 23

as heard by Darren Paltrowitz

Since Moving In Stereo: Volume 22 hit browsers, shelves, and tables around the world, a lot of worthwhile and attention-worthy releases have reached the office CD player, including:

Robert Pollard “From A Compound Eye” (Merge)
Pan For Punks “A Steelpan Tribute To The Ramones” (PanForPunks.com)
Venice Is Sinking / What We Do Is Secret “Split EP” (One Percent Press)
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs “Under The Covers Vol. 1” (Shout Factory)
Green Milk From The Planet Orange “City Calls Revolution” (Beta-lactam Ring)

…From The Stage

A "send-away party” prior to another European tour, Nada Surf headlined a four-act bill at The Mercury Lounge. Selling out in one day through little more than word of mouth, friends of the trio were chosen as openers. First up was Unlove, whose sound creatively merged the finer elements of dream-pop with noise-rock. The keyboard work of frontwoman Kristina Zubkova meshed especially well with the feedback of guitarist Kevin Mazzarelli, even if earplugs were necessary. True Love followed, bringing a new definition to the concept of a "power trio." Not only splitting lead vocal duties from song to song, guitarist Tom Beaujour, bassist Keith Hartel, and drummer Ray Kubian also regularly work three-part harmonies into their songs with impressive power-pop being the end result. Former Waxwing singer Rocky Votolato, a recent signing of Barsuk Records, came up next with nothing more than a harmonica and cleanly-amplified electric guitar. Playing tracks off of the newly released "Makers," the Seattle singer-songwriter charmed the capacity crowd with between-song banter that showed modesty and grace. By all means a night where the openers were just as noteworthy as the headliner…An event sponsored by The Improper Magazine, Manhattan's own Downtime played host to an exciting evening kicked off by Psyche Of Sound. A genre-bending, multi-racial group, the act featured a hard-to-ignore stage show with backup dancers and vocalists. A heavy reworking of Cranberries hit "Zombie" proved to be a set highlight. The evening continued with the guitar-oriented, lady-friendly Steve Marshall & The Deputies...Gigging at a private party at the office of Caroline Distribution, Man Man is a band that's been on tour with some great artists as of late; namely The Arcade Fire, Okkervil River, and Fiery Furnaces. While many artists would cower over the idea of performing without a stage, sound monitors or proper lighting, this ensemble -- as featuring members of Coyote and Need New Body -- persevered, with those in attendance immediately crowding around the band. Absolutely for fans of Tom Waits, Mr. Bungle, Skeleton Key, and Captain Beefheart alike, no two songs are alike, yet Man Man's music has a distinct sound as gruff vocals and klezmer influence are bound to stand out. Expect a tremendous cult following to develop in admiration of these Philadelphia folks.

…From The Screen

Featuring nearly two-dozen live and studio performances from classic bands, "God Save The Queen" brings together footage -- some of which raw but most of which rare -- from some of punk rock's founding fathers. Kicking off with "Sonic Reducer" from The Dead Boys and closing with Sham 69 favorite "Tell Us The Truth," there are glaring omissions from the bands included. However, it is refreshing to see less-successful yet as-influential artists like Johnny Thunders and Generation X getting their due. Completists will also appreciate the vintage interviews with Thunders, Marky Ramone, X-Ray Spex and a few of the other participating groups. On the opposite end of the rock spectrum, also new from Music Video Distributors is "Seven Days Live," which features Poison, post-C.C. DeVille, live in London in 1994...An innovative sit-com that ran for two seasons on Bravo, "Significant Others" was a series that focused on couples going in and out of marriage counseling. Improvised within boundaries, a la "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the series was popular amongst writers and other in-the-know viewers, but failed to catch on among the general public. Getting a second chance, Shout! Factory has released the entire series as a two-DVD set with extras. If you're the sort of person who prefers to preview before purchasing, be sure to add this to your Netflix queue immediately...A proven sensation in their native Norway, 2005 was a break-out year for Wig Wam, a glam-influenced quartet of rockers. Filling out two discs, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Revolution 2005” combines one full concert alongside the Eastfold Symphony Orchestra with two tour-documentaries, six music videos, and a large photo gallery. While most of the on-the-road footage is in Norweigan, the music and tomfoolery is 100% accessible to native English-speakers. But language aside, fans of The Darkness and Ash ought to love tracks like “In My Dreams” – a top-placing track from the Eurovision Song Contest – and “Hard To Be A Rock ‘N Roller.” An international pop invasion is inevitable for Wig Wam.

If you have news to report for the next edition of Moving In Stereo, press releases and all other correspondence should be sent to darren.paltrowitz@gmail.com.

Moving In Stereo: Volume 23 Contest Giveaways

The following albums will be given away to readers of Moving In Stereo:

Aereogramme “Seclusion” (Undergroove)
The Green And Yellow TV “Sinister Barrier” (Records)
Amy Kuney “EP” (Spin Move)

To enter into the drawing, visit http://www.cityzen.tv/content/missubscribe.php. Three winners – one CD per person – will be selected at random and notified.