REVIEW: LIVING COLOUR AT MEXICALI LIVE

For the second night in a row, I went to Mexicali Live in Teaneck, New Jersey to see one of my favorite bands.  This time it was Living Colour. I've seen them at The Ritz, The Beacon Theater, Shea Stadium (opening for The Rolling Stones), Central Park Summerstage (where they are playing this weekend), Roseland and The Academy, to name a few venues of the top of my head. Tonight was kind of a weird one: Mexicali is sort of a restraunt, LC were playing the early show, and people were still at their tables.  Frontman Corey Glover wasn't happy about it. Understandably: but I was worried that he'd have an attitude about it and that it would effect the show.

Luckily, that didn't happen.  Although he voiced his sort of discomfort about the show throughout the night, seemingly blaming it on guitarist Vernon Reid, he still gave a great performance, if not the best one I've ever seen. I've always thought of him as a star, and he performs like one. The thing about Corey is that he could have just as easily joined another more commercial band, and been just as happy.  Whereas Vernon Reid is so avant-garde with his playing, I could just as easily see him playing a guitar through a computer on the ground floor of an art museum that receives grants from David Bowie. It is almost surprising that he has ended up being in a band as popular as Living Colour, he could have ended up doing Phillip Glass type stuff. So it is a weird combination of two very different guys in the band. (That said, Vernon could also play guitar for Dionne Warwick or someone real mainstream also). The other guys, bassist Doug Wimbush and drummer Will Calhoun, could play any kind of music, but like Vernon, left to their own devices they could be doing Knitting Factory art stuff. All that being the case, I think Vernon, Doug and Will are happy to play thier music and get paid for it, even if they aren't playing huge rooms. This is all my perception of the band.

Anyway, they were great. It wasn't the best Living Colour show I've seen (Will was having drum pedal issues) but they were great, and after a slow start, the crowd got into it. Maybe half the crowd were familiar with the new album, The Chair In The Doorway, which came out last year. It has definitely been growing on me. The song "Bless Those" holds up to anything they've ever done.  Check out a video below of them performing it in 2008, before The Chair was released (on this version, Doug took most of the lead vocals, but now Corey sings it). They played a bunch of other new songs, but of course the best reaction was the oldre songs, "Cult of Personality," their cover of Talking Heads' "Memories Can't Wait," "Love Rears It's Ugly Head," "Go Away," "Middle Man" and "Type." They also did the lovely "Solace Of You" by request for a couple who had it played at their wedding. Another nice moment: Doug Wimbush calling out original bassist Muzz Skillings who was in the audience. Nice moments aside, I wish  I could go to Central Park this weekend, I bet it will be a way better show, and when they are on thier game, Living Colour is hard to beat.

TOMORROW ON OUTQ: ROCK AND ROLL! (THE STONES, BLACK KEYS, HOLE)

For those of you who are new to No Expiration, every Wednesday morning at 9 am ET I go on the SIRIUS XM channel OutQ. I am a weekly contributor to The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick. Tomorrow I will earn my title (given by Larry) of "rock reporter."

First, I'll be talking about The Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street reissue, which I love. The Stones have never really been too interested in adding bonus tracks to their catalog releases, but I'm glad they did for this one. Actually some of the songs are kind of like collaborations between the Stones of the late '60s/early '70s and today, as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and even Mick Taylor have added some new parts to some of the bonus tracks (which were unfinished and sitting in the vaults for decades). Of course, even without any extra stuff, Exile is a classic album and perfect for the summer.

I recently wrote about how much I like The Black Keys' Brothers. I'm excited to play them for people who aren't familiar with them.

Likewise, I'm excited to play The Len Price 3 for people. They are an awesome garage rock band who I doubt I would be familiar with, were it not for Little Steven's Underground Garage. They remind me of The Who or The Kinks from the early '60s.

Finally, the new Hole album, Nobody's Daughter. I think it is weird that Courtney Love is using the Hole name, since none of the other members used to be in the band. But I guess Hole has always been about her. I don't know if I love the album, but "Skinny Little Bitch" is pretty classic.

Hey, if you're around a computer or radio at 9 am ET, tune in and let me know what you think!

REVIEW: THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT AT MEXICALI LIVE

How do you know when a band is the real deal?  A decade and a half after signing to the "hot" alternative rock label (and about a decade after leaving said label), The Reverend Horton Heat ROCKED a bar full of crazy psychobilly fans on a Tuesday night. In Teaneck, New Jersey. 

I can't comment on the entire show, I got there late due to other committments (a class I'm taking), but after a long day of non-rock activities, some time with the Rev is exactly what I needed.

Back in the day (the mid-'90s), the band was starting to get some pretty big gigs, on thier own and opening for others.  They still play some pretty big places, including the Highline Ballroom in New York City, which they usually sell out two nights in a row. Mexicali Live in Teaneck is somewhat less glamourous, but the Reverend doesn't care about that. The people coming out were true fans, and the Rev and the band were more than happy to melt our faces with their awesome talent. Does it bug them that other bands that were around at the same time play much bigger shows? Maybe, but no one gets into rockabilly to get rich, and these guys are absolutely true to who they are, that's why we love them. P.S. it wasn't a "I Love the '90s" type deal: they played lots of songs from their latest album, Laughing and Crying With The Reverend Horton Heat, one of my favorite albums of 2009, and the crowd loved those songs.

RUSH HAS TWO NEW SONGS!

I didn't see this coming.  Rush just released two new songs: "Caravan" and "BU2B" on itunes today. They will be playing both of them on their upcoming tour.  They will both be on their next album, Clockwork Angels, due out next year. Rush really never play songs live before releasing them (they haven't done that in over twenty years), nor do they usually release songs this far in advance of an album. But I'm not complaining!

AWESOME ALBUM ALERT: THE BLACK KEYS "BROTHERS"

Well, The Drive-By Truckers' The Big To-Do may finally have some competition for my favorite album of 2010! I am really into the new Black Keys album, Brothers.

I'd actually been listening to a bunch of older Black Keys albums (including their last one, the excellent Danger Mouse-produced Attack & Release), because I thought I was going to see them open for Pearl Jam (it didn't happen, because I had to work late). Luckily, I did get to see part of thier in-studio performance at the offices where I work.

I've really enjoyed the band's progression from gut bucket blues duo (kind of like Hound Dog Taylor, but with one guitar instead of two) to something a bit more modern (but not too modern) and with a different kind of funk to it. This album kind of reminds me of the late great Chris Whitley, if he had been a bit funkier. I wish he did an album like this when he did Rocket House (although I love that album).

There's a profile of the band in a recent Rolling Stone (with either Mick Jagger or Keith Richards on the cover). At the end, there's a funny part, where they mull over other popular artists of the moment, including Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber (who neither of them are familiar with), Bo Bice and Band of Horses (who also opened for Pearl Jam on this tour). 15 seconds into Band of Horses' album, the dude complained it was boring. That made me laugh, even though I kind of like BOH.

I realize at this point that if you are one of No Expiration's readers who isn't as familiar with post-'80s music as I am, you might be getting lost. So, let me break it down for you.  If badass dirt-floor blues with '70s style funk appeals to you (and it should), you should check out this album.  You'll like it.  If you do, just start going backwards and pick up their older albums, starting with 2008's Attack & Release. You'll thank me. Here's a video of the singer, Dan Auerbach, peforming at the SIRIUS XM studios last year. These guys are a great band, and I think they will be around for a long time, so pay attention.

"I'LL SCRATCH YOURS" - PETER GABRIEL COVERS

When Peter Gabriel first announced his Scratch My Back album of orchestral covers, he also mentioned that he'd be curating a collection called I'll Scratch Yours, with those same artists covering Peter's songs. But he's actually taking a more modern approach: releasing one digital "split-single" each month, with a song from Scratch My Back, backed by a reciprocal cover by the artist he is covering. The problem is, iTunes hasn't promoted these singles at all, so you have to know to look for them.  That's why I'm here.  I have them all (so far), let me tell you what I think.

Also, I have to say that when I discussed this album on SIRIUS XM OutQ's The Morning Jolt With Larry Flick, I was kind of not into the album, which is odd for me, as I have enjoyed every Peter Gabriel album up until this point. Taken as a whole, it can be kind of slow and pretentious. But taken as singles, I like it better. I've warmed up to it a bit.

Anyway, the first split single featured Magnetic Fields' frontman Stephin Merritt covering "Not One Of Us" from Peter's third album. It's probably the best of the covers so far.  It has some added emotional context because it was recorded right after California voted against gay marraige. I am not a Magnetic Fields fan, but I was impressed by the song. Plus, Peter's cover of their "The Book Of Love" is maybe my favorite song on the album, and that inspired me to get the original, which I like. I prefer Peter's version, actually.

The second was Paul Simon's cover of the classic "Biko."  I actually love this one also.  I think it is the best thing Paul Simon has done in ages. He's singing and playing a moving song on acoustic guitar.  It sounds like it could have been his song.  (In contrast, I did not like Peter's cover of Paul's "The Boy In The Bubble," one of my favorite Paul Simon songs).

Next was Bon Iver's version of "Come Talk To Me," a song that originally featured Sinead O'Connor from the excellent Us album. Bon Iver one of the indie rock bands that I've heard in the past few years that I've kind of enjoyed. "Come Talk To Me" is one of my favorite Peter Gabriel songs, and Bon Iver really take it somewhere else, but I like this new interpretation. Peter's version of Bon Iver's "Flume"?  I think it would work well in an indie film, but I don't love it on its own.

Lou Reed covered Peter's "Solisbury Hill."  Supposedly, Peter wrote this after leaving Genesis to start his solo career, so I figured Lou Reed would identify with it.  I am a fan of Lou's, but I didn't dig his version of this classic. Meanwhile, Peter's verison of a relatively recent Lou Reed song, "The Power Of The Heart," was positively moving.  It's a side of Lou Reed most people aren't familiar with.

The latest release is Elbow's "Mercy Street," an under-appreciated song from So. The singer sounds  bit like Peter Gabriel in parts, I think the version is pretty good. I don't love Peter's verison of their "Mirrorball." This is my least favorite split single so far.

Peter's website reports that next month we'll get David Byrne's cover of "I Don't Remember." It's one of his more rocking songs (it's from the classic third album), I'm interested to hear what Byrne does with it.

LET ME HELP YOU

Here's what you need: a band whose music works equally well in the summer and for Halloween. Trust me, this is what you need! Luckily for all of us, Zombina & The Skeletones exist. I've been listening to them for a while on Little Steven's Underground Garage, and tonight I decided to buy some tracks on iTunes.  And I ordered thier Monsters on 45 compilation. Really, really fun band: find out more about them at their website. I will definitely be bringing this group onto The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick on SIRIUS XM OutQ. If you're just trying them out, go on iTunes and pick up "Red Planet" and "Zombie Hop."