Medleyville

For both acts, older material still scores with fans

Coldplay/Richard Ashcroft
Continental Airlines Arena -- East Rutherford, N.J.
March 25, 2006

Every few years, music seems to birth a new band from England that is hailed as the beginning of the next British Invasion.

Richard Ashcroft's old band, The Verve, once looked to be the next big thing to invade the United States. The Verve did achieve brief success in 1997 with its release of Urban Hymns, mostly due to its catchy smash single, "Bittersweet Symphony."

Now a solo artist and out in support of his new release, Keys to the World, Ashcroft finds himself opening for perhaps England's biggest young band, Coldplay (above) -- and playing before an audience of varying ages.

"I apologize for my language," Ashcroft said after dropping an F-bomb midway through the show. "It's not my fault; it's called Tourette's."

Ashcroft and his band ripped through a solid 45-minute set that included songs from all three of his solo albums, but Verve tracks "Lucky Man," "The Drugs Don’t Work" and the set-closing "Bittersweet Symphony" were best received by the crowd.

Then it was Coldplay's turn. Riding high on the success of their two previous hit albums (2000's Parachutes and 2002's A Rush of Blood to the Head), the band is an arena headliner as it promotes last year's X&Y. Coldplay drew heavily from the newest record, and many of its songs seem suited for large venues, but the audience responded best to better-known older selections such as "The Scientist," "Clocks" and "In My Place," all of which remain radio staples.

Outside of "Speed of Sound" and the show's finale, "Fix You," the new material was lost on much of the crowd. The poor pacing of the set list contributed to that feeling. Coldplay connected well early with "Politik," "Yellow," and "God Put a Smile on Your Face," but followed them up with slower numbers such as "What If" and "Trouble," which brought the fans off their feet and into their seats.

During a stripped-down segment at the front of the stage, drummer Will Champion took over on piano and bassist Guy Berryman handled harmonica, while Chris Martin and Jon Buckland played guitars on "Til Kingdom Come," -- a song they wrote following the death of Johnny Cash -- and then quickly went into Cash’s classic "Ring Of Fire."

"Without hesitation, I can list three great Americans," Martin said. "One being Jay-Z, who is here tonight. Two, Michael Stipe, who is also here tonight. And three, Johnny Cash, who is unfortunately no longer with us."

Martin proved to be an engaging front man, hamming it up with the audience -- even when playing guitar or piano -- and exudes passion and excitement for the songs. During the encore, on "In My Place," the daring singer decided to make a sprint to the sound stage at the end of the arena floor to lead the crowd in a sing-along, only to make a mad dash back to stage to safety.

If the rest of the band could better feed off his enthusiasm, Coldplay might truly be ready to play big venues such as this one.

-- By Michael Corby

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Hundreds of artists from around the world visited Austin, Texas, for this year's SXSW music festival and conference, which was held March 15-19.

Here are just a few who made their mark in the Lone Star State.

Neil Young

The Architects

Chrissie Hynde

The Brilliant Mistakes

Justin King

Rob Dickinson

Sam Moore

Willie Nile and Alejandro Escovedo

Anthony Hamilton

Soft Explosions

-- All photos by Chris M. Junior

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Guest artists dominate spotty solo outing

After roughly two decades with now-disbanded Run-DMC, Darryl McDaniels (DMC) has finally gone solo, even if he is not quite ready to go it alone.

The rapper has enlisted a cavalcade of guests on his debut solo offering, Checks Thugs and Rock N Roll (Rome N Empire Records) -- some logical choices (such as Run-DMC mates Reverend Run and the late Jam Master Jay, fellow rapper Doug E. Fresh and Kid Rock) and some downright surprising collaborations (Sarah McLachlan, Cars guitarist Elliot Easton). The extensive list of cameos figures to pique listeners' curiosity, but ultimately it works against DMC, as it draws too much attention away from him and the core of his material.

Indeed, DMC has invited so many people to the party that it's hard to tell what the occasion is. The disc is billed as being inspired by two recent jolting occurrences in the 41-year-old rapper's life: the murder of Jam Master Jay and DMC's discovery that he was an adopted child. Along those lines, DMC seems to be taking stock -- and taking on the world around him -- with a searing social commentary on leadoff track "Watchtower," which is essentially an update of "All Along The Watchtower" (much closer to Jimi Hendrix's arrangement than Bob Dylan's original) with new lyrics.

Its verses about pedophile priests, hip-hop violence and crumbling inner-city schools are a far cry from the topics Run-DMC would famously tackle, such as their love for their shoelace-less Adidas. But DMC follows it up with the bland, disposable "Freaky Chick," a not-so-veiled shot at today's divas that the media fawn over, which sounds more like a Sir Mix-A-Lot-type novelty.

"Just Like Me," on the other hand, is a succinct, deeply personal song about DMC coming to grips with his adoption, but even at this triumphant moment, the ethereal vocals by McLachlan steal the show on the song's refrain (the chorus to Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle"). DMC's vocal range sounds even more limited next to McLachlan, though he is eminently believable when he declares, "I just wanna know my history." Deeper into the disc, he surrenders the spotlight altogether on consecutive tracks: lead vocalists Ms. Jade and Sonny Black dominate "Cold," and it's hard to detect if DMC's voice is on the track at all, while "What's Wrong" is carried by impassioned performances from Napoleon and Ciara.

It's almost as if DMC's creativity and/or singing is so limited that he had no choice but to step aside and let other singers take over. A cynic might suggest that Checks Thugs and Rock N Roll is a carefully timed tie-in with DMC's new VH1 reality show. Still, there is certainly a potential hit or two here on an overall incongruous and puzzling album. With so much emphasis on the guests, DMC ends up obscured and comes off as reluctant to break away from the group dynamic he found such enormous success with in Run-DMC. (Fittingly, there are even occasional references to that group's classic songs and album titles that pop up in the lyrics).

At a time of great self-discovery for him in his personal life, the identity of DMC the solo artist remains shrouded.

-- By George Henn

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Sights, sounds and observations from Austin, Texas -- March 17

* Judy Collins concluded her interview with radio personality Pete Fornatale by singing a moving version of "Amazing Grace."

* Chrissie Hynde took issue with the oversized, animal-hide covered chair she was provided for her interview with Bill Flanagan, at one point sitting on the floor before she parked herself in a cloth-and-metal chair like those available for the audience.

* Teddy Thompson was in fine form on KGSR-FM (107.1), performing "I Should Get Up" in advance of his evening set at Eternal.

* Street marketing at its most effective: Nearly, if not all, of the streetlight posts along Sixth Street had red posters pushing The Back Room, the new Editors album, due March 21.

* "This is set for Dave." -- Rodney Crowell, after stopping his first song at Parish to raise the microphone stand. Crowell had been introduced by writer Dave Marsh.

-- By Chris M. Junior

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Sights, sounds and observations from Austin, Texas -- March 16

* "If you try too hard, you're not going to get there." -- Neil Young talking about the songwriting process during his keynote conversation.

* "We have the cream of the crop." -- Sam Moore, referring to the stars on his upcoming album, Overnight Sensational, which features Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Sting and others.

* Justin King dazzled the Driskill Hotel crowd during a Sony artists showcase with his percussive fingertapping guitar work, also showing he has solid tunes to go along with impressive chops.

* Catherine Wheel singer Rob Dickinson flashed a sense of humor prior to his solo acoustic set at Friends, saying he was the lead singer of Iron Maiden (that distinction belongs to Bruce Dickinson).

-- By Chris M. Junior

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Sights, sounds and observations from Austin, Texas -- March 15

* Curt Kirkwood of Meat Puppets fame performed an awful version of "Lake of Fire" on KLBJ-FM (93.7), his off-key voice as bad as his cheap-sounding guitar.

* Albie Monterrosa, Soto and James Guerrero of the New Jersey band deSol looked and sounded animated in the convention center during the afternoon despite a long drive to Austin that ended around 6 a.m. that morning.

* "I think peer-to-peer [file distribution] is great -- it's great for everyone . . . but it has to be monetized. Monitizing [peer-to-peer] is what we have to do." -- Martin Mills of Beggars Group during the panel Billboard's Indie Label White Paper.

* The notorious Beatle Bob looked foolish as always as he did something that resembled dancing combined with air drumming while next to the Mother Egan's stage during a set by The Silos.

-- By Chris M. Junior

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Tina Dico shoots for U.S. success

The SXSW music festival/conference attracts artists from all corners of the world, and among the acts heading to Austin, Texas, this year is singer/songwriter Tina Dico, a native of Arhus, Denmark.

Dico has made a name for herself around Europe via her solo albums and her contributions to 2004's When It Falls, the second album by the English electronica group Zero 7. In the Red (Defend Music), Dico’s third solo disc, arrived last month, and it's her first to be released in the United States.

Medleyville.us: Describe Arhus, Denmark, in five words.
Tina Dico: "A. Lot. Of. Blond. Girls."

What U.S. city does it most resemble, and why?
Dico: "It's much smaller than any U.S. city I've been to. You can walk from the city center to the forest and lovely beaches in 20 minutes. I'd imagine maybe like somewhere in New England?"

You've likened your early songs to a diary. Did you give any of them really embarrassing or wordy titles?
Dico: "The titles were sort of OK, but [not] some of the lyrics! Sometimes when I rehearse with my band, they'll start jamming some of my early songs and we'll piss ourselves laughing 'cause they're so angsty and wordy -- and embarrassing."

At age 15, you were asked to sing with a friend's band. What was the group's name and musical style?
Dico: "The band was called M.E.L. -- don't ask me why. 'Mel' is flour in Danish. We covered our favorite songs: I was into Pearl Jam at the time; the guitarist was into Jimi Hendrix and old bluesy stuff, so it was all over the place and all together quite different from what I do today -- and what I was writing at home by the piano at the time."

You played basketball and studied religion prior to launching your music career. What skills or disciplines, if any, from those two interests have you applied to music?
Dico: "That's an interesting question! From basketball I got a fair bit of toughness, I think. Our coaches always took us right to the limit and then a little further. And I learned to keep fighting even when it looks like I'm losing. I don't give up on things.

"Religion and music, to me, are two sides of the same story. They both represent a search and a determination to fill my life with something that is greater than life itself -- with beautiful mystery."

Was it after your second solo album that you hooked up with Zero 7?
Dico: "I had just recorded my second album when I started meeting up with the guys from Zero 7, yes."

What adjustments did you make going from a solo artist to working with a group?
Dico: "Well, I was used to working with my band at home and I was kinda used to co-writing as well, although I've always found it extremely difficult.

"But working with Sam [Hardaker] and Henry [Binns] was different mainly because it was essentially their project, and I wanted them to be happy and feel that it fitted in with the album they were making. So I tried my best to be professional, let go of my ego and go with their flow -- which was a great experience."

Your new album, In the Red, contains a song called "The City." What metropolis inspired the tune?
Dico: "The story is quite abstract and although it's based on some experiences I've had in London while I've been living there, the song is born out of a general big-city-emotional-chaos. I've spent so much time pretty much on my own in many, many big cities around the world over the past two years, and it does something to me. I get lost, I get lonely and I get excited all at once."

Do you plan on checking out any other artists while you're in Austin, Texas, during SXSW?
Dico: "Yes, I'll be out there in the jungle, but I haven't had a chance to look at the schedule. I'll probably end up giving up on all the 'cool' shows and spend most of my time at the top of Crown Plaza listening to acoustic music, looking out over the Austin skyline."

-- Interview by Chris M. Junior

Tina Dico will perform March 16 at 18th Floor at Capitol Place during SXSW. Her North American tour will continue through March 26; she'll begin a stretch of U.K. dates on April 3.

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March 7, 2006
Vintage Vinyl -- Fords, N.J.

An apology, a spirited set and constant crowd interaction can go a long way in making up for a late start.

A tardy Rhett Miller did all that and more during his solo in-store performance at Vintage Vinyl to promote his new solo album, The Believer (Verve Forecast). The Old 97's singer/guitarist also took notice of the children in attendance and by doing so may have picked up some new fans.

Following his eight-song set, a mix of solo and Old 97's songs, Miller chatted with youths and adults alike as he signed CDs and posed for pictures. When asked about his upcoming tour, Miller said he'll be backed by a three-piece, New York-based band.

Miller's tour includes shows in Austin, Texas, on March 17 and 18 as part of SXSW.

-- Photos by Chris M. Junior

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Thompson proves the apple doesn't fall far from the tree

Teddy Thompson
Feb. 22, 2006
Mercury Lounge -- New York

The life of a famous musician's kid must be bittersweet. When said parent is successful, it often equals money, little responsibility and media attention based solely on who your father or mother is (see Nicole Richie).

But when your goals are to follow in your parent's footsteps, all of a sudden the expectations start to rise and the criticism can be harsh. Teddy Thompson, son of Richard and Linda Thompson, set out to attract some attention of his own during a recent show at New York's Mercury Lounge to promote his second album, Separate Ways (Verve Forecast).

Thompson and band opened the show with "Shine So Bright" and "I Should Get Up," just as his new album does. "Shine So Bright" began with a soft synth sample that maintains throughout the song and really accentuates the lyrics, which are a slightly sarcastic look at stardom. "I Should Get Up" was a little more upbeat but not a rocker by any stretch; the mid-tempo number showed off Thompson's similarities to his father's style of music by featuring some subtle but distinct guitar work that never got too showy.

Thompson had a few instances where the strength of his voice was at the forefront. "Altered Sates" was one such song, and he seemed to channel Jackson Browne, holding notes longer to highlight the verses. His true highlight came in the middle of the set when he strayed from his current album and performed "Turning the Gun on Myself" from the 2004 EP Blunderbuss. The beauty of the song comes in the delivery -- almost a lullaby, with Thompson's voice in a hushed tone, comforting the audience while blurring the harsh words ("The Upper West Side/Is supposed to be quiet/It's supposed to be wealthy and dull/So how to explain/This thundering pain/That's pushing its way through my skull").

As the near hour-long set drew to a close, Thompson continued to weave from song to song without the need to take it up a notch. One song that deserves a better arrangement is "Everybody Move It." The words suggest that everyone hit the dance floor and shake what they got, but despite having a nice melody, the song would barely get feet shuffling.

After leaving the stage, Thompson returned alone for the appropriately titled "Sorry to See Me Go." This soft tune silenced the crowd and kept everyone hanging on every word, proving that Thompson has a real command of the stage and the crowd.

Judging from this show, maybe this marks the arrival of a new folk/pop star to appreciate.

-- By Mike Madden

Teddy Thompson will perform March 17 at Eternal in Austin, Texas, as part of this year’s SXSW music festival/conference.

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