Cooler than Freddie Jackson sippin' a milkshake in a snow storm, and funkier than a mosquito's tweeter, the genre-bending Jamie Lidell put on quite the show at The Abbey Pub. From the onset, Lidell fed off of the lively crowd, performing songs from both Jim and Multiply with tremendous confidence. Lidell's backing band was equally impressive, flawlessly following Lidell's tangents of pure whimsy as they develop his songs into an extended electro-groove.

Perhaps what was most impressive about Lidell's performance was that he was able to breathe new life into even his more popular songs from his Multiply album, such as the title track and "A Little Bit More." Lidell and his band also made sure to keep the fan interaction at a maximum, as two of the members of the band went down into the audience to engage in a dance off while Lidell was busy looping his improvised vocals. He also allowed fans to sing along into the microphone on a few songs and, during the encore break, the still excitable crowd sang the refrain from the song "Wait For Me" as they waited for the band to come back on stage.

Lidell was simply on fire at the show, as his voice was just about perfect for the entire night, and he also did a terrific job during the middle of the set when it was just him, by himself, making music on the fly (which, unsurprisingly, is his real comfort zone). It'll be interesting to see how Lidell and company do when they come back in August for Lollapalooza, but as it stands, Lidell gave one hell of a performance.

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Over here on 88Nine RadioMilwaukee, we have been playing "I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance" by a group out of Jacksonville, Florida called "The Black Kids". The group has been listed in Rolling Stones' "Ten Artists Who Are Bringing the Future of Music, Today".

...since Black Kids have gathered so much blog buzz over the past few months that they're already playing sold-out gigs for fans such as the Beastie Boys' Mike D. That acclaim is due mostly to the freewheeling indie-rock songs they posted on MySpace, earning them comparisons to Arcade Fire and the Cure. But with coed harmonies and snatches of R&B, Black Kids have a more classic pop sound than your typical indie-rock band — and they're more humble.

Don't sleep on the Black Kids. They will be playing in Chicago on May 7th with Cut/Copy at the Abbey Pub.

Black Kids - "Hurricane Jane(Beige Remix)"(right click & save as)
[audio=http://www.rhythmlabonline.com/audio/hurricanejane-beigeremix.mp3]

Black Kids - "I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance (Twelves Remix)"
[audio=http://www.rhythmlabonline.com/audio/ncewithyou_TheTwelvesRemix_1.mp3]

Kate Nash - "I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance (Black Kids Cover)"
[audio=http://www.rhythmlabonline.com/audio/blackkids_cover.mp3]

Video for "I'm Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance"

Detholz! @ Abbey Pub
Chicago, IL
Thurs., 3/27
w/ Panther (Kill Rock Stars), U.S. Girls & Slow Gun Shogun
BUY TIX HERE: www.abbeypub.com

NEW SONGS WILL BE DEBUTED!

PLUS

THIS Saturday, March 30th
BELOIT COLLEGE C-HAUS
Beloit, WI
"If you haven't seen Detholz! at Beloit College, you haven't seen Detholz!" - wise grasshopper
VIVA LA BLUE HOUSE!  See you soon, Beloitians!

Welcome to Detholz! Mp3 Blog, Episode XXXII, the last installment in our MARCH OF DEMOS, a month-long look at DH! demos that weathered the gauntlet and made it onto our full-length releases, "Who Are The Detholz!?"(2001), "Jukebox of the Dead" (2005), and Cast Out Devils(2006). All are available for purchase/download at our website: www.detholz.com. As I just discovered yesterday, you can also find Cast Out Devils on iTunes.

As a wise man once said: "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man. So let me handle my business, damn!"

This week, a band favorite from Cast Out Devils, the demo recording of CLUB OSLO

I think I wouldn't be putting words into the other Detholes' mouths when I say that, even after 4 years in the regular rotation, we still enjoy playing "Club Oslo." It's probably the closest thing we had to a radio-friendly song on Cast Out Devils, with a near-perfect balance of the Three D's of Detholz!:

DORKY,
DISSONANT,
and DANCE-READY

Reviewers have gone multiple directions on this song over the years. It's been accused of having a "cheap chorus," which I suppose is a valid criticism. "Freak out, jump in, jump out," etc. ain't exactly Lord Byron. On the other hand, it's been called "a song for party people who think." I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I would definitely like to be thought of as a "thoughtful party person:" someone who both throws thoughtful parties and is thoughtful AT parties.

1. SONG CONCEPT

After enduring the most harrowing club experience of my life in Oslo, Norway while on tour with Bobby Conn (I ended up trapped inside the Oslo railyards at 4 AM... don't ask), I wanted to write a fluffy dance number about that fateful night. I eventually made it back to our hotel on the other side of town, but not before scrabbling through a creek in the dead of winter, spraining my ankle, almost getting arrested, and royally pissing off a concierge.

If there is any "cheapness" to the song, it was deliberate. My experience that night was the culmination of a desperate pursuit of a candy-coated rokkenroll reality at the time. It was a Dark Time for the Empire, indeed. This song, like "Ghost of Christmas Palsy" (see earlier post) was written as a "note to self" -- "freak out, jump in, jump out, get out" is intended as a warning.

Incidentally, we'll be debuting "Xmas Palsy" at the Abbey Pub show tomorrow night! Y'all come, now, hear?

2. SONG COMPOSITION

The demo version is decidedly lighter in the loafers than the version on Cast Out Devils, but it has its merits nonetheless. My favorite aspect of the demo recording is the unintentional interplay of overtones between the guitars and the keyboards during the bridge-- it creates a new percussive layer. Listen for it-- it's the 2-against-3 polyrhythm in the keyboards. I did NOT plan on it-- it just magically appeared! Try as we might, we could not replicate it on the full album version.

The version on Cast Out Devils turned out better overall -- it breathes a little more, and generally packs more of a wallop. Still, I have a fondness for the artificiality of the demo recording-- the crappy, direct guitar sound and outdated Alesis drum machine lend it some added charm, in my humble opinion.

A kid at our Subterranean all-ages show the other week said of Detholz!, "Feh, too 'eighties. Nothing good came out of the 'eighties." A friend's response: "Uhh, weren't you born in the 'eighties?" Gales of laughter from his friends! I felt simultaneously gratified and...well, old.

Tune in next week for the first April installment of the Detholz! Mp3 blog, otherwise known as SOUNDTRACK MADNESS MONTH!

3. LYRICS

CLUB OSLO
Who is feeling dumb, who is fun
Anyone, anyone?
Who feels funky beats in easy feet
Properly, properly?

Freak out!
Jump in, Jump out!
I've never disco'ed this way!

See if she's my speed, take a seat
Silently, silently
When our eyes first meet, scope the scene
Naturally, naturally

Tell you God is like an egg
I --
Put my hand upon your leg
You --
And your body says "yes," but your head says "no"

Freak out!
Jump in, Jump out!
Get out right before you freak out!
Freak out!
I've never disco'ed this way!

Detholz! @ Abbey Pub
Chicago, IL
Thurs., 3/27
w/ Panther (Kill Rock Stars), U.S. Girls & Slow Gun Shogun
BUY TIX HERE: www.abbeypub.com

PLUS

Saturday, March 30th
BELOIT COLLEGE C-HAUS
Beloit, WI
The student body has spoken: Detholz! triumphant return!
Fall '07 was the first semester we'd missed since 2001- thanks to all who campaigned!

Welcome to Detholz! Mp3 Blog, Episode XXXI! We're continuing with the grueling MARCH OF DEMOS, where we present old, dusty demo recordings of songs that MADE the cut onto Detholz! records.

This week, one of my favorite old demos: THE BODY ELECTRIC

This is one of the oldest DH! songs that made the cut onto "Who Are The Detholz!?" (2001), having been penned somewhere around the end of 1999. As I recall, it was a real bitch to record with the full band given the demanding vocal parts-- a lot of hours were spent gargling lemon juice and tightening our BVD's to hit the high notes in our vocal isolation booth (read unfinished coat closet).

As with last week's selection, I've always preferred the demo to the full band recording of "Body Electric" (nothing against the rest of the boyz). This song was a beast to perform well. I think we pulled it off successfully only a very few times in those early shows-- most of the time, it would receive a lukewarm response live simply because it took so much effort to play it. Karl Doerfer (DH! guitarist) has often said in retrospect that he finds the song to be monotonous, which is also a justifiable criticism.

It makes me a little sad to listen to the demo, though, as that sweet-sounding falsetto range has gradually disappeared 10 years, 1,000's of cigarettes and countless snifters of whiskey later. There's no way in hell I could sing this song now-- I suppose we could call this "Geddy Lee Syndrome" where... well... one just can't hit those high notes like one used to.

SONG CONCEPT & COMPOSITION

At the time, I had a morning ritual that involved watching at least one episode of classic "Twilight Zone" every morning. I've always loved that show; the writing, acting and music are always so satisfyingly over-the-top. In some cases-- at least musically-- the scores are truly astounding thanks to the brilliant Bernard Herrmann, whose film music I have been rediscovering lately. (He scored many of the early TZ episodes, though not the one mentioned below).

One morning, they reran the TZ episode, "I Sing the Body Electric," based on the well-known Ray Bradbury story about a made-to-order electric grandmother (Bradbury also wrote the screenplay for the TZ episode). At the time, my own grandmother's health had begun to waver as she began the initial stages of a 7-year decline before she finally passed away. So, this is really a song for her, though when I was writing it, I was also ruminating on ideas about eternity and eternal destiny-- an uncharacteristically sincere song for that period in DH!. This song is still able to evoke an emotional response in me like few other DH! songs can.

Many of the chord changes were lifted directly from incidental music to the Twilight Zone, as I would sit every morning with my guitar and plunk along with various episodes. I've always loved the music on that show, though this is the only instance where I've consciously tried to emulate it.

More recently, as I'm gearing up to write more orchestral scores, I've made a more serious study of the music/orchestration techniques of Bernard Herrmann. If you're unfamiliar with his music, I would recommend listening to the scores from "The Day The Earth Stood Still,"(the 1st 50's sci-fi movie score to use a theremin!), "The Naked and the Dead," (excellent brass writing), and, of course, the soundtrack to "Psycho," which is arguably the best film score of all time.

But I digress: You'll hear a lot of the vocal layering characteristic of Detholz! in those days on this demo-- we were, as many young, hungry popsters are, obsessed with the Beach Boys/Pet Sounds and enamored of complex, layered vocal writing. The best example of this can be heard on "All For You," (last song on WRTDH!?) whose vocals were written in a collaborative session by Rick Franklin (1st DH! keyboardist & primary songwriter on "All For You"), Karl and I. Pixies influence is also discernible in the parallel barre-chord ascensions towards the end of the song.

You'll have to bear with the recording quality here. At 22, I was just learning how to record a workable home demo, so it's got the usual newbie warts: bottom-heavy, murky mix with lots of noise and hiss. Hopefully, it adds to the charm.  Up to you.

I'll end today's post in the guise of Rod Serling who, tight-lipped and stiff, delivered these clipped lines at the end of the episode in question, which sum up well what this song attempts to convey:

"A fable? Most assuredly. But who's to say at some distant moment there might not be an assembly line producing a gentle product in the form of a grandmother whose stock in trade is love? Fable, sure... but who's to say?"

Tune in next week for the last leg of our MARCH OF DEMOS...

Some photos on the Flickr account.

Video of highlights of the show to follow soon. In the mean time check the Supreme Team live set from the Toronto show last night. Kareem Riggims on drums Madlib on melodies. Its all off the dome:

I just drove 18 hours yesterday. From Texas all the way through Oklahoma City and back to Chicago. Long road with lots of Christians everywhere. But New Young Pony Club is in town tonite over at Subterranean. Should be a good time. I'm surprised that they are playing at such a low key venue- def. not a complaint at all, every show I've seen over there has been awesome. Who knows. I posted the Mehdi remix a bit ago, so that's why it's missing.

New Young Pony Club - Get Lucky (MSTRKRFT Remix)

New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream (Thee Bang Gang Deejays Remix)

New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream (Tiga Remix)

Thursday is the night to go out this week if you're looking for it. I've been waiting a while now to see Treasure Fingers spin a set, throw in LA Riots and you've got yourself a commitment here. There's a couple of other guys on the lineup (DJ Deekline, DJ Analyze, Kieth Mackenzie & Local Hero) as well, leaving me wondering when to show up. The event will kickoff the New Guard 1 Year Anniversary. You'll find me tomorrow, for sure, over at Smart Bar getting down. Going to be a rough Friday.

Snowden - Anti-Anti (Treasure Fingers Remix)

Fergie - Glamorous (Treasure Fingers Remix).mp3

Delegation - It's Your Turn (Treasure Fingers Edit)

Le Castle Vania - Trouble In Daylight (LA Riots Remix)

LA Riots - Kill Bill

Justice - The Party (LA Riots Remix)

Little Brother, Evidence (of Dilated Peoples) & Black Milk are going to play at The Abbey Pub the same night, too. Dilated Peoples speaks for itself. If you are aware that underground hip exists than you've heard their work. Little Brother is a personal fav, and it's only fitting that he rolls through after 9th Wonder even if they aren't playing together. I'll be willing to put a bet on Black Milk to become a really hot emcee soon, all props go to him at the moment. Big Tanz turned me on to his work a few months back. Pretty tight stuff.

Evidence - Born In LA

Dilated Peoples - End Of Time
(sorry 'bout the quality, still a good song)

Black Milk - Tell 'Em

Little Brother - Slow It Down Inst