I’ve always hated pop-culture movies, which usually are preceded by a soundtrack of mediocre major-label alternative trash—acts that haven’t broken, nor ever will, always turn up in droves on these compilations. Orange County, on the other hand, is an exception. From Social Distortion to Cake, Pete Yorn to Creeper Lagoon, the disc succeeds in making a well-rounded, diverse accompaniment to perhaps the stupidest movie ever. If you can forget that Colin Hanks and Jack Black exist, you’ll find great aural pleasure with lesser-known acts like 12 Rods (“Glad That It’s Over”) or Phantom Planet (“California”). There are, however, a few stinkers—the Offspring’s tepid “Defy You”; the aptly named Bad Ronald’s “1st Time.” Not everyone can be perfect, but give someone credit for leaving off Fred Durst. (The first pressing includes a bonus CD of new Sony acts that can either be used as a coaster or a Frisbee.)
Not one to rest on his laurels, Deftones frontman Chino Moreno recently completed a West Coast tour with his side project, Team Sleep. The band’s pre-Christmas show at the newly renovated Colonial Theatre in Oak Park featured a delightful set of original material that was new to most everyone there. This night, the last show of the tour, afforded the band considerable room to stretch out on a number of drowsy, slumbering melodies, some of which may find their way onto Team Sleep’s debut sometime in the spring, on the Deftones’ major-label distributed imprint.
The in crowd was in full effect as members of such crucial Northern California bands as onelinedrawing, Will Haven, ent and Pocket for Corduroy were in attendance. From the opening band—a reunited Phallucy featuring Deftones drummer Abe Cunningham with two former bandmates, bassist Sonny Mayugba and guitarist Dave Garcia, both now in Daycare—it was apparent we were in for a welcome return to the early ’90s.
Even with its methodical, dense soundscapes, Team Sleep created a trenchant backdrop that was easily discernible and alarmingly audible. For nu-metal fans, some of the material was hard to digest, and those expecting a mosh pit or stage-diving soundtrack were in for a real shocker. Team Sleep stuck to its sound throughout the set sans a few, relatively minor tempo changes.
After only a handful of live shows—the first appearances ever by guitarist Todd Wilkinson—Team Sleep appeared comfortable and confident, nestling themselves safely within the confines of the Colonial Theater. Zach Hill, drummer for Hella and onetime drummer for Crime in Choir, aided by the solid anchor of Tinfed bassist Rick Vetterli, was able to foment the audience into a relative stupor. Hill’s uptempo beats, mated to the brooding rhythms of guitarists Moreno and Wilkinson, made for an interesting melange of sounds bordering on ambient. DJ Crook, who had worked with the ’Tones, further contributed to the unbounded wall of noise.
“King Diamond” (named after the Danish satan-metal band Mercyful Fate’s frontman), “Koolade,” “Solid Gold” and “Natalie Portman” were just a few of the band’s confusing song titles, which had very little to do with their content. The material was reminiscent of Deftones’ more introspective moments and hinted further at Moreno’s fixation with electronic, downtempo and indie art rock. Moreno and company rocked, or perhaps lulled, the capacity crowd, disintegrating notions that the project was merely a hastily thrown-together offshoot.
Although Deftones may be Moreno’s first love, his fervor for Team Sleep could not be ignored. Without sounding contrived or ill conceived, he and his bandmates did the unimaginable: created another Sacramento-bred major-label heavyweight. His first public outing with Team Sleep was triumphant, and offered him yet another creative outlet. Come April, the rest of the nation should awaken from their slumber.Scene & heard was reported by .
Athough they never gained the popularity of countrymen Sepultura, Ratos de Porão garnered much respect from their peers, not to mention a legion of U.S. punks. After a brief run on RC Records, the move to Jello Biafra’s incestuous but always intrepid label would only seem proper. On this Brazilian band’s latest eight-song disc, those punk roots materialize to make up this foetid compilation of sloppy metal and boundary-pushing punk rock. Like a bad case of halitosis, Ratos dish out their own versions of such disparate artists as Jello Biafra, Half Japanese and Sepultura, leaving their trademark foul taste. Even the cover art, stolen from www.rotten.com, features a cannibal devouring a seemingly decomposed human calf. In addition, the band sings in its native Portuguese on a few of the more confrontational tracks—“Toma Trouxa” and “Obesidade Morbida Constitucional,” my favorite of the lot.
Self-assured ex-local glam singer Jacob Golden, who moved to England, plans on re-conquering America
Jacob Golden, who knows where to shop for interesting shoes.
Live! All-ages matinee at Old Ironsides, 1901 S St., Sunday, Jan. 6 at 4 p.m. $7, with Jonah Matranga, Dana Gumbiner and Elin Lord.
Expatriate Sacramento singer Jacob Golden has been living the charmed life in a London flat—on his record label’s dime. The reason he’s been residing in the U.K. for the past year is that he’s been writing and recording material for a new album, Hallelujah World, his first full-length disc as a solo artist, which will be released this coming summer. More importantly, it’s his first worldwide release for England’s Rough Trade Records.
For anyone not familiar with the Valley’s “Golden boy,” the lad made quite a name for himself fronting Birthday, a now-defunct band that got signed to Warner Music U.K.’s Blanco y Negro label. After a brief U.K. tour and a shelved debut disc with that band, Golden opted to continue with the musician’s life, carrying on with the lullaby pop that characterized Birthday’s dense sound. And now Golden returns, albeit briefly, with a new outlook on recording, music, life and all things associated with the United Kingdom.
“London has an amazing music scene,” Golden says. “It really keeps you on your toes, ‘cause there’s so many good artists. I react well to that sort of environment. I always dreamed of traveling the world and making music. I also think to do something extraordinary you have to take chances.
“Leaving a comfortable [and] familiar environment can really be good for kicking you in the butt and realizing your dreams,” he adds. “As a solo artist, it seemed to make more sense.”
Golden is enthused about his progress overseas, which seems to be moving forward exponentially. “I haven’t played with a band since Birthday broke up a year ago,” he says. “It’s been really good for me. It does wonders for your confidence when it’s all on you although it can be very frightening. I think I’m finally ready to put a new band together in the U.K. I want to first focus on the U.K. and Europe, and then make my way back to the U.S.
“I’ve had some wonderful experiences playing abroad, an exuberant Golden adds. “Supporting Low [the Duluth slo-core giants that record for the Chicago-based boutique label Kranky] at the Union Chapel was amazing. It’s this old church in the center of London. At another show, we [Birthday] sampled a bit of Amsterdam’s local grass before we went onstage, not realizing how strong it was, and our first song”—normally three minutes long—”turned into a 12-minute opus.”
Rough Trade Records, the U.K.-based label that’s home to the Strokes, the Moldy Peaches, the Smiths catalog and Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval, signed Golden in the wake of Birthday’s demise and quietly released an EP by him. After a successful hookup with Sanctuary Records, the domestic company that signed local hard-rock quintet Tesla, Rough Trade will now release its titles in the states, thus eliminating pricey imports—Golden’s six-song EP goes for over $20 at retail here.
“The new album will be titled Hallelujah World, ‘cause that’s how I want to live—in a state of joy,” Golden says. “I’m also working with Faultline, a producer and collaborator of mine. His new album is very beautiful and features me as well as Chris [Martin] from Coldplay and Wayne [Coyne] from the Flaming Lips. I should be doing some amazing shows next year—I’d love to play the big festivals in Europe, and it’s very likely I will.”
Self-assured? Certainly. After all, what kind of guy would name his former band Birthday—if he wasn’t planning on doing a little celebrating on his own?
Eddie
