“New York City Speed” has circulated among Kill Hannah fans for years as a leaked demo, but the finished version is an aggressive, polished track with a beat that is fresh and contemporary, thanks to the skilled production touch of John Bourke.

(Read what Bourke had to say about working with Kill Hannah in his interview with Julie Tate of Gossip [&] the Devil.)

Tune In, Make Out

The track starts with an homage to the original low-tech version, then the generic Radio Shack keyboard disco beat is swept up by Kill Hannah’s signature crunchy guitars (props to guitarist Dan Wiese for effortlessly picking up the lead licks from the departed Jonny Radtke). The dynamic drum fills keep this song far from typical dance-rock fare, but the programming still puts the listener right in the middle of a crowded dance floor.

Shut Up, Put Out

In a recent MySpace blog post, the band called the forthcoming album “the proudest accomplishment of our lives.”  It’s exciting to see such a hopeful attitude from a group of guys that survived a disastrous tour bus fire last year and has been put through the wringer of a music industry that, as they put it, “has tragically lost its way.”

According to their MySpace page, the band is now signed with Original Signal Recordings, a progressive record label with an artist- and technology-friendly outlook.  Original Signal promotes itself as a supportive, dynamic environment for independent artists with an outlook that embraces the modern musician and music consumer.

Dress Up, Let Go

Kill Hannah believe their time has arrived.  Trimmed to their barest elements, they have rediscovered their roots and reconnected with the heart and soul of what made the band popular in the beginning.  They have thrown all their faith into this approach, the new album, their future, and most of all into the hands of their fans.

Listen to “New York City Speed” on Kill Hannah’s MySpace page now, and don’t forget to check them out on tour with Lacuna Coil.

I was excited from the moment I’d heard the band start talking up “Conviction,” and delighted after the first few listens.  An ardent New Wave fan, I loved the idea of one of my favorite bands emulating New Order as it emerged from the ashes of the much darker Joy Division.  The band seemed equally excited and enthusiastic about this direction, and they played it with gusto.

Somewhere in the intervening years, however, the enthusiasm wore off.  Whether Aiden were never really that enthusiastic about “Conviction,” or the immature fan rantings finally wore them down, it seemed toward they end that the band almost became apologetic about the album.  “We’re sorry for stepping outside the box!  Please forgive us!  We won’t try that pushing creative boundaries thing ever again, we swear!”

After promising a record that would have all the lyrical maturity of “Conviction” with the sound of “Nightmare Anatomy,” the guys duly got their black on, cleared their throats for their best primal screams, and tore out a record (“Knives”) that feels more like the precursor to “Our Gangs Dark Oath” than the next step in the evolution of Aiden as musicians.  While there are still hints of Aiden’s catchy rhythms and Angel Ibarra’s melodic guitar, I found myself spending more time staring at my speakers in disbelief than enjoying a trip down memory lane.  The lyrics have devolved to ranting against religion, love, and virtually everything else that borders on shockingly immature at times, while the album’s themes in general scream of trying too hard to recapture the dark, gritty glee of “Nightmare Anatomy.”

Perhaps that is because frontman William Francis isn’t feeling particularly gleeful right now.  He wears his lyrical heart on his sleeve, and he makes it no secret that his albums come directly from his present mental state.  The great part about such raw honesty is that when you can relate to those emotions, the album resounds despite whatever other deficiencies may exist.  Of course, if you can’t relate you feel completely alienated from the album and from an artist you thought you “knew.”

This could be why “Conviction” worked for me.  Not only was it musically appealing, but the themes of contentment, hope, and love resounded with me.  Even “Nightmare Anatomy,” which was full of dark themes and imagery, constantly returned to the idea of hope.  (“This nightmare / won’t last long …”)

“Knives” feels hopeless.  The anger and despair seething through the record make it a chore for me to listen to, and I dread seeing the songs in concert.  I listen to my favorite bands’ music for pleasure, not to be assaulted, and it’s hard not to take it personally.  So, color me disappointed by “Knives,” but I’m not giving up on Aiden yet.

I guess all we “Conviction” lovers can do is wait for a better mood to strike.

Years into the digital music era, artists are still struggling to figure out how to make a living off their creations.  They have experimented with everything from stringent digital copyright protection to giving away music for free.  The Pumpkins have moved to what some may consider the bleeding edge of the music distribution model: releasing songs via new media (or mass media).

Some say the model is nothing new, and it has a name:  selling out.

Who wants honey / as long as there’s some money?

Corgan has already been attacked for the band’s direction as far as music releases go, with their decision to release their single “G.L.O.W.” as part of the new “Guitar Hero: World Tour.”  A lot of observers seem to have a difficult time resolving the Pumpkins’ desire to push forward in new directions while still capitalizing on the cachet they retain from their past successes.

At times, Corgan seems to struggle with resolving the two himself, alternating between cursing fans for failing to respect the band and its direction and earnestly pleading the band’s case for its choices.  He uses the monumental success of their mid-90s work as evidence that they know what they’re doing, then at other times is dismissive of it, saying in one interview that “We spun a roulette wheel and we got it right.”

Come align for the big fight / to rock for you

Having grown weary of battling record labels, bandmates, and anyone else who has complicated his creative life, Corgan and his new compatriots seem determined to blaze a new path through uncharted territory, even if it means going to war with Pumpkins fans themselves.

Corgan recently told the Chicago Tribune:

Our primary function now is to be a singles band, that drives Pumpkins Inc. through singles. We’ll still be creative, but in a different form. We won’t do shows like this anymore, where we try to draw a good crowd and balance the past with the present. We’ll go small and do exactly what we want to do and stop playing catalogue. We’ll be like a new band that can’t rely on old gimmicks. [. . .]  We don’t want a pat on the back: Good to have you back. We want a reaction, even if it’s a negative reaction.

Those fans are more than ready for what Corgan wants to offer:  music delivered in ways that are meaningful to them.  Fans will pay for what they perceive to be value (which generally means more than “just” music–they want a full “experience”), but as they’ve shown, they will quite vocally walk away when they feel they aren’t getting their money’s worth.

“Our intention is to work within popular [media] to bring counterculture, radical ideas into the mainstream,” Corgan said.  The mainstream is obviously receptive; the only question that remains is whether Corgan’s message is the one they’re waiting to hear.

The best things in life…

The Pumpkins got a payday, but it doesn’t have to come from your pocket.  For the price of an email address, you can download  F.O.L., courtesy of the Hyundai Genesis.

And if you missed it, check out the commercial here.

And one more thing.

I owe a special thanks to miss Julie M. T. for guiding me into and through all things Smashing Pumpkins.  Check out her poetry, cultural insights, and saga-in-many-parts about meeting Mr. Corgan himself at Gossip and the Devil.

My Chemical Romance have resurfaced from their extended break to release a video for their cover of Bob Dylan’s song “Desolation Row,” to be featured in the upcoming Watchmen movie.

The band announced the pending release on their blog yesterday, along with a link to a 30-second preview.  The full version is now available to download on iTunes for $1.99.

The song is a radical reworking of Dylan’s nine-minute-plus ballad, trimmed to a lean three minutes and given an aggressive, punk-style makeover that hearkens back to MCR’s I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love days.

Arriving at the sound was no accident, as Gerard Way told MTV News: “[It's] punk but not in a modern punk sense. We really went for that Sex Pistols-type sound . . .  In fact, when we did the guitars, we brought in Marshall heads and ’50s Les Paul customs. So basically, relative things set up as the Pistols to get that sound. And the mixing was done accordingly as well. It’s very distorted and it’s very trashy.”

As for the video, Gerard is back in his pale complexioned, red-rimmed eyed glory, looking again to the band’s past.  The entire band is outfitted in gritty punk style, with leather and studs abounding among reds, blacks, and whites and dirty denim.  Guitarist Frank Iero sports a tattered Union Jack on his jacket, another subtle nod to the obvious.

The punk homages don’t stop there, with Iero also rocking a Misfits-inspired hairdo, and even the ever carefully coiffed Mikey Way thrashing his mane into a mess that Sid Vicious could be proud of.

Glimpses of drummer Bob Bryar’s bloody mouth, guitarist Ray Toro’s equally bloody nose, and Gerard Way’s black eye and bandaged brow give a sinister vibe to the already gritty affair — foreshadowing for the video’s chaotic conclusion that set many a fangirl’s heart a flutter.

Despite Gerard and Mikey Way working on their respective comic books, Frank Iero touring with side project Leathermouth, and the others working on their own projects, it’s obvious that My Chemical Romance still have their amazing chemistry.  It’s a small comfort to see that commercial success, marriage, and family haven’t diminished My Chemical Romance’s ambition, or perhaps more importantly their dark sense of humor and flair for the dramatic.

On January 18, HBO broadcast the We Are One Inaugural Celebration, featuring such diverse performers as Beyonce, Usher, Jon Bon Jovi, and U2.

“What a thrill for four Irish boys . . . to honor you, sir.”

U2 have played to some magnificent backdrops–Slane Castle and Red Rocks among them–and the Lincoln Memorial was a fitting location for a moving rendition of “Pride (In The Name of Love).”  You could hear the emotion and the weight of the moment on Bono’s voice, and despite the bitter cold, every member of the band was beaming.  From there, the band segued into the soaring, hopeful “City of Blinding Lights,” which Bono dedicated to the man of the hour, President-elect Barack Obama.  A few creative lyrical changes only made the song more perfect for the moment.

Some have derided the Irishmen’s presence at the most American of celebrations, but I would argue no band has more faithfully and interestedly chronicled the American political and cultural experience of the past quarter-century like U2.  It’s most appropriate that they be present for this unprecedented time of change and rebirth.

If you missed the show, you can catch one of the rebroadcasts on HBO, or hbo.com.  Also, check out this YouTube video of U2’s performance.

Get On Your Boots

U2 followed their spectacular reemergence into the musical spotlight by releasing the first single from their forthcoming album, No Line On The Horizon, online.

You can listen to “Get On Your Boots” (and read the lyrics) for free at U2.com.

Two bands who have consistently come highly recommended for people with similar musical tastes to my own are MGMT and Cut Copy.  So, I decided to sample each band’s album and try to expand my horizons.

MGMT

MGMT’s album Oracular Spectacular starts out with the mellow single “Time To Pretend.” The sounds are lush and layered, with a 70s-pop vibe, almost Pink-Floyd-like.  The record chills even further with “Weekend Wars,” with the vocals evoking John Lennon.  As I sampled through the record, I kept waiting for something a bit more up-tempo, lest I fall asleep (or go out in search of some special brownies to complement the sound), but the closest  Oracular Spectacular ever comes is the Hustle-tempo “Electric Feel” and the head-bopping “Kids,” with its catchy synth hook.

Sounding like Arcade Fire with a little more of an electro bent, I can see why MGMT are indie darlings right now.  Quality musicianship aside, it certainly wasn’t what I was looking for, or expecting when I was recommended them as a fan of dance-rock and electro-pop.  This trippy duo is just a little too…  whoa, man….

Cut Copy

Greeted by a similar fluttery synth opening when I hit play on Cut Copy’s album In Ghost Colours, I feared I was going to go 0 for 2 in my quest for a new band to really get behind.  I was pleasantly surprised when opening track “Feel The Love” picked up a poppy background beat, the tempo a toe-tapping buoy for a sound every bit as lush and layered as that of MGMT.  The songs flow from one to another, something that appeals to me and is more common with dance-rock albums.  The dreamy little synth-effect interludes (“We Fight For Diamonds,” “Voices In Quartz,” “Silver Thoughts”) give the flow a bit of variety and help with the tempo changes.  Cut Copy approaches MGMT’s laid-back vibe on “Strangers In The Wind,” but they avoid getting too mired in the psychadelic haze, and halfway through the song the dance beat is back.

The music has an obvious club influence and wonderful flow.  It was easy for me to listen to this album straight through, rather than with MGMT’s, where I felt like I was slogging through, struggling to stay awake.  The 80s New Wave influences are everywhere, especially on single “Hearts on Fire,” which has New Order written all over it.

And the winner is…

Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours.

These two albums and bands have far less in common than I would have believed upon having them recommended to me, and Cut Copy appeals to me more as a fan of new wave music.  MGMT feel like they get lost in all that sound — a little too meandering for me.  If anything, this is a prime example of how “Other Bands You Might Be Interested In…” can be like night and day.

Never ones to quietly bend over and just take what they’re given (someone must have misplaced the ball gags from the original video), Innerpartysystem have still managed to include plenty of subtly disturbing imagery.  They’ve even brought their creepy newscasters back to take in the new show, complete with quasi-Johnny Carson.

With the brutally overwhelming social commentary cut or at least softened, there is now room for the band to be showcased front and center.  While I know the guys have an aversion to pin-up superstardom — hence the obscuring shadow and backlighting — people like to see what they’re buying (or buying into).  A face makes it easier for the masses to relate to music that is a bit more challenging than your usual pop fare; it gives them something to connect with, an investment, something to keep them hooked while everything else sinks in.  It’s not always so much about selling the band’s image as it is making that personal connection.  This is why bands can make or break themselves live.

This is also where I think Innerpartysystem does themselves a great favor, because their live show adds hot blood and a pounding heartbeat to the already intense electronic beats and grinding guitars, which gives the music a dimension that isn’t possible on a recording.  The performance footage of the band in the new video gives a peek at that live show intensity, however, and adds a level of immediacy that wasn’t in the original video, which had a more cerebral and detached feel.

Innerpartysystem has had a banner year, coming up from obscurity to making a noticeable dent in both the UK and US music scenes.  I know it was a difficult decision to revisit the single and video they used to establish a baseline for what their band is about.  I think it was the right decision, though.  After capturing the attention of the music industry and fans of intelligent, provocative music and visuals, this reworking gives the band a chance to broaden their appeal and continue to develop new opportunities to get out their music and message.  It’s not a matter of redoing something that wasn’t done right the first time; it’s expanding and enhancing what’s already been done to take it to the next level.

Innerpartysystem are ready.

It’s only fitting to kick off this series by writing about my favorite musical discovery of the past year.

This is entertainment/Lies are entertainment

I was introduced to Innerpartysystem at Kill Hannah’s 2007 New Heart for Xmas V fan show, before getting to know them properly during the summer of 2008 when they rejoined Kill Hannah as a support act on the Hope for the Hopeless tour.  The first impression is indelible.  The wall of lights onstage begins to flash, slave to a beat that builds into an aggressive dance explosion, four black silhouettes writhing with their instruments in the foreground.  The songs flow from one to the other, giving the audience no time to catch their breath and leaving little room for banter or any other filler.  The audience is left wondering if they just saw a band play or a night of chemical-fueled excess pass before them onstage.

Nothing’s too excessive/When you’ve got nothing left

The music is rock-driven electronic dance, with witty and provocative lyrics that both revel in and revile today’s fame-driven culture.  They explore the edgier side of human nature: obsessive love, the excess of the party and club scene found thriving in major cities, disillusionment.  The beats are relentless, with refrains that have the whole audience jumping, hands in the air, screaming along.  In addition to the intense live show, Innerpartysystem has engaged their love of all things visual with disturbingly engrossing promotional videos, as well as vaguely sinister music videos to Don’t Stop and Die Tonight, Live Forever.  They strive to engage all the senses with their work.

We’re all here ‘cos we’ve lost control

The aggressive stage show and lyrics belie four laid-back and friendly guys.  It only takes a few minutes of talking with vocalist Patrick, drummer Jared, keyboardist Jesse and guitarist Kris to realize that these are four intelligent men who have seen and lived a great deal.  They are keenly perceptive and intensely creative, yet absolutely unassuming.  It’s refreshing in a genre full of “musicians” armed with only a laptop and a sense of entitlement.  I think that genuineness translates and makes their themes and presentation accessible to a wide audience, rather than the generic pretentiousness that is all too common in dance-rock.

I will surround your heart with lies/’Til the end

Innerpartysystem were on tour for much of 2008, both in Europe and at home.  They were featured all over television and they were nominated to be featured as part of Yahoo’s “Who’s Next.”  They were also in a Spin magazine contest where they re-enacted a scene from “The Big Lebowski,” which had me wondering what these four Wunderkinder couldn’t do.  2009 looks to be an even bigger year for them.  They are hitting the ground running with a small warm-up tour of the northeastern US before heading back to Europe.  There is also talk of them playing this year’s Warped tour.  Check out their winter tour dates, and if you can’t make it to see them live (which you should, just to experience their mind-melting cover of Joy Division’s “Transmission”), be sure to spend some time on their YouTube Channel.  Their debut EP, The Download EP is a must-buy, and their self-titled full-length album is amazing as well.

Innerpartysystem are one of the increasingly rare perfect storms of talent, ambition, strong work ethic, and fierce belief in a vision of what music should be.  They put every ounce of their effort toward that vision, and it is an all-encompassing experience for the senses, whether live or on disk.

What sealed the deal on my apathy for the Killers was their performance at Edgefest 16 in Dallas, TX (aside: one of the greatest concert lineups I’ve ever witnessed).   For me, the live show is always the ultimate for a band– it will make or break me as a fan.  Bands whose recorded material has me incredibly exicted are bands I want to see live, so I can fully fall in love with them.  The Killers, despite my feelings about Sam’s Town, were on the list of such bands.  I felt a great live show that reminded me why I loved them circa Hot Fuss could trump the Sam’s Town ambivalence and cement me as a true Killers fan.

Thus, I was thrilled to see them at the top of an already packed bill for Edgefest, which took place in April 2007.  The energy of the festival built through the day, with kinetic main stage acts such as AFI, Muse, and My Chemical Romance.  However, many people began to leave before The Killers even came on (no doubt owing to the long delay before they hit the stage), but even as they played, people continued to leave.  I can’t necessarily guess what drove every person out of the stadium, but I know I heard more than one person comment that they were simply bored by The Killers’ sound, especially following bands with such dynamic sounds and stage presence.  I felt the same; it wasn’t that The Killers were bad, or even unenjoyable– they just didn’t fit.  Their set for me wasn’t fun, exciting, heart-pounding, or provocative.  Because of that, I count The Killers as one of my biggest live music disappointments.  My Edgefest experience is representative of my feelings for The Killers’ music in general up to this point:bored and disappointed.

That is, until the video for their new single, “Human,” was played at my moonlight job (where I bartend at a bowling alley that has a weekend glow bowl where they play music videos on projector screens).  Of course, Brandon Flowers’ voice is unmistakable, and the return of the beloved dance-beat edge to The Killers’ sound captured my immediate and whole attention.

My customers were forced to wait for several minutes while I absorbed with glee Flowers’ now-smooth face, the relative lack of Old West garb on the band, the campy playfulness that was there during the Sam’s Town era but overwhelmed by the rest of the retro schtick…  I returned to mixing drinks while bobbing my head and humming along.  The sound had immediately captured my attention again, and I couldn’t get the tune out of my head.

I came home to watch the video again and listen to the lyrics more closely.  To my delight, Flowers and company have managed to combine the vocal and lyrical maturity of Sam’s Town with the provocative rock/dance sound of Hot Fuss to create a sound they can really own, something current and fresh that has an enduring quality to it.  Part of what made Sam’s Town so difficult to listen to for me was that it sounded dated the moment the CD hit my computer to be ripped.  I can see myself enjoying “Human” far into the future.  I’m looking forward to listening to their new album, Day & Age, when it’s released on November 24, to see if they’ve fulfilled the promise of “Human.”

And perhaps even more telling, I’m eager to see The Killers live once more.

The most interesting aspect of the movie is that aside from one memorable exception, no Pumpkins “classics” are featured.  Every featured song is new–most of them written the day they were recorded.  The focus of the film is Billy Corgan’s obsessive, relentless creativity, shown as an all-consuming force that pushes him and, therefore, the rest of his band.  Accompanying the three-hour residency shows are grueling marathon rehearsals that strain the Pumpkins’ three neophyte members, all experienced musicians who seem to barely weather the onslaught of Corgan’s prolific songwriting and perfectionism.

The intimacy of the film shows how Corgan uses his creative process as a wall between a world that seems to overwhelm and threaten him on a regular basis.   He admits that a childhood of abuse has left him struggling with boundaries. Nowhere is that more evident than the myriad awkward and uncomfortable interactions with fans, the interviewer and even his own bandmates that the movie unflinchingly captures.

Longtime drummer Jimmy Chamberlin is one of the few immune to Corgan’s mercurial nature.  Chamberlin himself has come a long way from the hard-partying drug addict from the Pumpkins’ past, something Corgan touches on as well.  It seems that everyone from the “original” Pumpkins has moved on, yet Corgan is trapped by his own hyperactive mind and its demons that couldn’t be properly exorcised by a solo career or his failed band Zwan–only through the guise of the Pumpkins.

It’s obvious that Corgan believes this course his only option.  It wasn’t his choice to reform the Pumpkins, replacing guitarist James Iha and bassist D’Arcy.  It had to be done, likewise the extensive residencies that seem to blend together as the film progresses.  As one undertaking a journey of Herculean proportions, Corgan stubbornly pushes through the tasks that present themselves in order to to mold these diverse musicians into a cohesive unit to actualize his visions.

Corgan meets his challenges with alternating zen and fury.  He blows off harsh words from critics, but becomes so frustrated when he forgets earlier-improvised lyrics that he throws his guitar across the room.  He is alternately bemused and insulted by the mixed reactions of the audiences to his new songs, some of which stretch on past the half-hour mark.  He becomes petulant at times when the interviewer touches sensitive subjects, then flippantly shrugs off his discomfort.

As the pressure to match the public’s expectations as well as his own grows, Corgan sinks so far into himself that he neglects the interpersonal relationships that are the glue of any band.  It is only when his new bandmates, who are still trying to find their own voices in this maelstrom, have their own breakdowns that Corgan begins to realize that that unless something gives, the new Pumpkins could come apart before it even fully gets off the ground.

After Corgan takes the stage for the final encore of their residency, there seems to be a hint of a promise that he might finally be able to move on , as his fellow Pumpkins had over eight years ago.

Corgan’s songwriting process is an effective narrative thread to tell the larger story of the “new” Pumpkins.  The multi-angle, split-screen shots are artful and not distracting, and there is just the right balance of performance footage and interview.  While the movie was naturally “Billy-centric,” I felt the other members of the band were adequately represented.  In the end, as ever, the Pumpkins are the story of Billy Corgan marshaling those he has drawn to him in order to realize his vision, and If All Goes Wrong succeeds in illustrating that point, in all its light and dark.

The Pumpkins have several teaser clips available on YouTube, but if you don’t need the hard sell, If All Goes Wrong is now available for you to own, so go pick it up!