Event
The Meat Puppets 9/24/2009 Grizzly Rose
The Meat Puppets stand out as one of the most illuminous sparks highlighting the first, and most overtly accomplished, coming of American indie rock, those golden and precious years lying roughly between 1979 and 1985. An era so filled with purity, it reigns supreme to this day with an embarrassment of musical riches. Many of them straight from the fingers of Kirkwood/Kirkwood/ Bostrom.
Always recognized as an extremely dexterous and deft live act, the Puppets used 2008 to continue to stretch out the new line up (with Ted Marcus now a full time replacement for founding drummer Derrick Bostrom). The band joined Built to Spill, and later, Stone Temple Pilots, for well received jaunts across the U.S. The Puppets also toured Europe, and took part in each of the 2008 All Tomorrows Parties festivals, performing Meat Puppets II as part of ATP's Dont Look Back series. By year's end, the shows were "almost" 100% acoustic. "Almost" because Curt was playing a Gibson Hummingbird plugged into his pedal board, allowing him to work his effects just like an electric guitar. The simplicity of the set up belied the sort of arresting dynamics that Muse and Radiohead aim to capture, albeit by spending tens of thousands of quid in arena production. Signed in early 2008 to ultra-artist friendly Mega Force Records, the Puppets found themselves once again at work exploring the vast creative landscape that has defined the band since it burst forth with its majestic debut for SST, Meat Puppets. In between '08 tours, the Puppets wrote and recorded a new album, Sewn Together, the trios second full length since 2007.
Witness Sapphire, Clone, and Smoke. At first listen, one is tempted with an impression of experimental Pink Floyd "Wall" like channeling here, but accuracys sake will note that the operatic idiom behind these songs has been exhibited at least as far back as 1995s No Joke, and subsequent trials from Curts solo master piece, Snow, and the texturally generous Rise To Your Knees. Now, however, the breadth of instrumentation is no longer in the back seat. Its right there in the guts of the entire record. And while it is not overstatement to declare a connection here to the heights of the E Street Band, the results from last summers sessions clearly continue the Puppets trademark forging of subtle yet iconoclastic lyrical sweetness and remarkable musicianship. Were a short description required, confidence is the defining term and attitude. This is a record that is brilliantly framed by the bands sometimes folksy, always fluid wanderings. The Puppets gladly let the material step out as first fiddle, content with understanding songs this strong only come along once in a great while, and better to serve them than the other way around. It is what makes the Puppets musings so difficult to classify. They ambitiously dart the melodic spectrum between buoyant pop structure like album-opener Sewn Together and the grand sweep of Clone, two of the precision-perfect gems that will come to represent this record as a keeper. The album rides to close in pure pop fashion. The infectious Love Mountain, a song that harkens back better than a decade, at last weaving itself free of Curts inner awareness, emerges taut yet jangly enough to please George Harrison and George Martin. Thats no exaggeration, either. Sure, absolutely, Springsteen and the Beatles and Pink Floyd are mighty comparisons, but lets face it, what is due is due.
|
|
 |
LocationGrizzly Rose
1124 W Front St
Boise, ID 83702
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 21 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
|
Contact
|
