Music

Music news, profiles of bands or labels, the tunes that Monkey currently grooves to

IV Thieves

IV Thieves

IV Thieves is the name of the band formerly known as Nic Armstrong and the Thieves. As the story goes, after touring in support of their first album, the other band members became so integral to the group that Nic’s name was taken off the band name. Isn’t that a nice story? It seems like it usually goes the other way, doesn’t it? I understand using the name Thieves; Nic/nick, slang for to steal, and they’re from the home of Robin Hood; but what about the IV? Is it a roman numeral representing the four members of the band, or do these Nottingham lads actually nick IVs from hospital patients or drug users? Or maybe they are supporters of randomized experiments in statistics, so they steal Instrumental Variables from regression analyses to produce inconsistent estimates. I can’t decide whether these guys are Roman, cruel, or math nerds. Perhaps they’re all three, like Caligula with a pocket-protector. (Possible title for their next album?)

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Half Modest: The Archie Bronson Outfit

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I think I’d make a horrible juror. Lawyers can be so sneaky, using their wiles to trap you into thinking whatever their client is hoping, and I tend to fall for the same old tricks. Take for instance my appreciation for singers with imperfect voices: I’m always convinced that the reason those who screech their way through songs are better is that they must actually feel the words stumbling out of their mouths. It’s such a clever ploy, and I’ve found another sneaky band to add to my list of favorites: the Archie Bronson Outfit.

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ig-Juana Molina

I'd never consciously listened to Juana Molina until Domino kindly sent us a copy of her recent album Son. KCRW talks about her all the time, to the point that my initial excitement about getting CDs from one of my…

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The Palooza

Lollapalooza

I attended my first Lollapalooza in 1992, back when it was still a touring show, at Riverport Amphitheatre (now UMB Bank Pavilion) in St. Louis. In only it’s second year, Lollapalooza was already a force to be reckoned with. The main stage acts included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ministry, Ice Cube, Soundgarden, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Pearl Jam, Lush, Temple of the Dog, and the Rollins Band, and the second stage had the likes of Porno for Pyros, Cypress Hill, Seam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Rage Against the Machine. While the lineup was stellar, Lollapalooza wasn’t just about the music, it was about the culture at the time. You could could completely ignore the music and explore a variety of art installations, visit with people who wanted to save the environment, or just sit back and watch the freaks, in both the festival crowd and in the Jim Rose Circus.

After Perry Farrell left Lollapalooza, the festival gradually ran out of steam and sustaining a traveling tour had become a money-losing proposition. Even after Farrell rejoined the tour, the 2004 tour was cancelled when nobody bought tickets. After seeing the success that destination festivals like Bonaroo and Coachella were experiencing, Farrell relaunched the Lollaplooza last year as a two-day festival in Chicago’s Grant Park.

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