Aidin Vaziri: March 2010

29 March 2010

Pop Quiz: Devendra Banhart

Aidin Vaziri | Having made the world safe for heavily bearded folk singers with a thing for Brazilian Tropicália and Oasis, Devendra Banhart has cleaned up and returned to the road to spread the word about his latest album, "What Will We Be." Once based in San Francisco, the itinerant singer-songwriter now spends most of his time in Los Angeles, where he called us to clear up a few things - or more likely not.

Devendra Banhart
Q: When this album came out last year, you said you had started going to bed at 8:30 at night after drinking a tall glass of water. Is that still happening?
A: No. That was for about two days. It was milk, not water. Actually, it wasn't either. It's incredible how this happens. When the last record came out and I was doing interviews, I used that as an example to support the reality that I relate to an old lady more than anyone. All the pros and cons of being an old lady, I identify with that a lot. I took it to this literal place. But I suppose it wasn't a very good idea. I got texts from friends that said, "Right on, I'm drinking milk now too."
Q: What else do people think about you that is wrong?
A: My manager had Jim Morrison's couch, and he let me borrow it. I bought a suit that was Mick Jagger's because I'm an idiot and because it fit me. I traded a drawing for Bob Dylan's hat. So now I'm known as a collector of musical artifacts. I don't know if it's on Wikipedia or what, but now every interview people ask me, "So, have you picked up any new musical artifacts?"
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28 March 2010

Review: Usher, 'Raymond v Raymond'

Review: Usher, 'Raymond v Raymond': Aidin Vaziri | Usher Raymond's last album, 2008's platinum-plus "Here I Stand," found the then-newlywed singer singing earnestly of marital bliss. Well, that didn't last long. After some well-publicized domestic turbulence, the sense of encroaching maturity has all but lifted with the arrival of his latest, "Raymond v Raymond." On the new disc, the 31-year-old Texas native seems intent on making up for lost time. "OMG" finds him back on the dance floor scoping out the action with the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am as his funky wingman: "Honey got a booty like pow, pow, pow!/ Honey got some boobies like wow, oh, wow!" And it's doubtful that "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" is about his experiences as a young father, as sultry R&B beats accompany a troupe of breathless backup singers cooing, "Hey, hey, daddy." Meanwhile, "So Many Girls" finds him standing on the bar at last call wailing about his latest predicament, "I can't decide which one I'll be taking home." Expensively produced, terrifically brash and ridiculous on almost every level, it's hard to imagine a more effective way to sort out his love life.

The (English) Beat Goes On

After a gap, the Beat goes on for singer: Aidin Vaziri | The English Beat may have marked its 30th anniversary two years ago, but Wakeling says the group feels more popular now than ever. People have even been asking for new music at the shows, making him consider releasing a new album next year. "Of all the things you would never dream it," Wakeling says. "When a couple comes up to you at the end of the show and says they met at college, listened to your songs and that various songs and lyrics have helped them get through life's ups and downs. When they tell you that, you feel stunned. That's been happening a lot more recently." Read more.

Jay-Z's On The Guest List

Jay-Z's greatest cameos: Aidin Vaziri | Jay-Z has broken chart records. He owns sports franchises. The president has him on speed dial. He designs his own clothes. And his single with Alicia Keys, "Empire State of Mind," from his latest album, "The Blueprint 3," helped the Yankees win the World Series. But that doesn't mean the Brooklyn rapper, who was born Shawn Carter and occasionally likes to call himself Young Hova, is too busy to appear on other people's records. Since making his debut in the early '90s, the rapper has made a habit out of stealing the limelight from his hosts, including everyone from his wife, Beyoncé, to friends in Coldplay. In anticipation of Jay-Z's appearance at HP Pavilion in San Jose, we revisit some of our favorite cameos. Read more.

Review: She & Him, 'Volume Two'

Review: She & Him, 'Volume Two': Aidin Vaziri | With the sparkling 1970s AM radio strains of their first album together, "Volume One," doe-eyed actress Zooey Deschanel and indie-rock utility player M. Ward established that She & Him wasn't just another movie star vanity project to be filed alongside cut-out-bin staples such as Keanu Reeves' Dogstar or Russell Crowe's 30 Odd Foot of Grunts. On the duo's second release, they traverse the same country-tinged terrain as the first, with pedal steel guitars, swinging pop melodies and Deschanel's nasal voice, which floats somewhere between Carly Simon and Patsy Cline. From the ecstatic "In the Sun" to the Spector-esque "Ridin' in My Car," your level of enjoyment will depend heavily on how you feel about the dance sequence in "(500) Days of Summer."

Why Alex Chilton Should Have Been A Big Star

Why Alex Chilton should have been a big star: Aidin Vaziri | Alex Chilton, who died after apparently suffering a heart attack at age 59, didn't sell many albums. He may have scored a No. 1 hit as a teenager in 1967 with "The Letter" as the lead singer for the Box Tops. But it was as the front man for the little-known Memphis power pop band Big Star that he made his mark, serving as a major influence on acts such as R.E.M., Beck, Elliott Smith, Ryan Adams and Wilco. The Replacements even wrote a song for him called "Alex Chilton," which at once celebrated his allure and his relative anonymity: "Children by the million/ Sing for Alex Chilton/ When he comes 'round/ They sing, 'I'm in love/ What's that song?' " Chilton was scheduled to join the remaining members of Big Star for a retrospective set at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin. The show will now go on as a tribute to Chilton. But you can celebrate his legacy right now by downloading five of his most essential Big Star tunes. Read more.

Pop Quiz: Jake Shimabukuro

Aidin Vaziri | Pretty much everybody who has watched Jake Shimabukuro in action claims that the Hawaiian-born musician is doing for the ukulele what Jimi Hendrix did for the electric guitar - except without all the unnecessary pyromania. The 33-year-old Shimabukuro gained attention with a 2006 YouTube clip that featured him playing an incredible version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Since then, he has become a regular on late-night television, toured with Jimmy Buffett, performed for the queen of England, played the national anthem at Madison Square Garden and released a handful of albums. He's taking a break from recording his latest for a quick West Coast tour.

Jake Shimabukuro
Q: How hard is it to make the ukulele look sexy?
A: Man, I don't know. I'm just really a big fan of the instrument. I never thought of the ukulele as a sexy instrument. The ukulele, to me, is an instrument that brings joy to people.
Q: I think when people come to a ukulele concert, the last thing they expect is for the performer to start crowd-surfing on their heads.
A:Yeah, I kind of shied away from that. People come to my concerts and they think they know what they're going to hear. People have such low expectations of the instrument. And you just throw these other things at them, and they're surprised. It makes them feel like a kid, and it makes me feel like a kid. But I try to give people their space now when I'm onstage.
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Review: Gorillaz, 'Plastic Beach'

Review: Gorillaz, 'Plastic Beach': Aidin Vaziri | The third album by Brit-pop overachiever Damon Albarn's cartoon band features a stellar guest list that includes Lou Reed, Snoop Dogg, Mark E Smith, Bobby Womack and half the Clash. They all bring their distinctive personalities to the party, but make no mistake; "Plastic Beach" is driven purely by Albarn's fireball ideas. Since launching the Gorillaz side project 12 years ago, the Blur front man has gotten really good at mixing up cheeky melodies with ambling reggae rhythms, woozy soul and sinister dub grooves. The left-field touches that propelled the group's previous hits like "Dare" and "Clint Eastwood" are evident once again on "Stylo," a freewheeling funk jam that pairs Womack with rapper Mos Def, and the exuberant "Superfast Jellyfish," which features vocals from De La Soul. Reed, meanwhile, is responsible for the album's oddest turn, laying his world-weary groan on the tropical vibes of "Some Kind of Nature." With Albarn's dash of magic dust, it's almost guaranteed to top the charts before the end of the year.

Pop Quiz: Salvador Santana

Aidin Vaziri | Salvador Santana has already put in his time on arena stages and at red-carpet ceremonies. But after years of riding alongside his father, the multiplatinum Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana, Salvador is ready to try doing things from the ground up. The 26-year-old Bay Area native just released his first solo album, "Keyboard City" (he released an album with the Salvador Santana Band two years ago), which features cameos by Beastie Boys keyboardist Money Mark and rapper Del the Funky Homosapien.

Salvador Santana
Q: After touring arenas with him, are you a little bummed you have to go back to playing clubs now?
A: I'm the type of person who plays better when there's a sea of people. I get more anxiety if I have to play in front of 30 people. At the same time, I'm just honored people take the time to check me out, check out the music I'm trying to express.
Q: Have you had a chance to get Sean Lennon or Jakob Dylan on the phone for a good mutual therapy session?
A: I have not met Sean Lennon. I would love to hang out with him and share a few stories. We did a show with the Wallflowers a few years back in Atlantic City and, as we were coming off the stage, Jakob Dylan just grabbed my hand and said, "Hey, I really like what you're doing." Everyone handles it differently. People always say, "You got big shoes to fill." Yeah, but they're not my dad's shoes. They're my own shoes I've got to fill.
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Pop Quiz: Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols

Aidin Vaziri | After getting yanked off the air when Los Angeles' Indie 103.1 went under last year, Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones' eclectic radio show, "Jonesy's Jukebox," has resurfaced on IAmRogue.com, a Web site run by film producer Ryan Kavanaugh. From his Southern California home Jones tells us about his return to radio, the biggest benefit of going online and his enviable technique for wrangling A-list celebrities for his daily broadcasts.

Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols
Q: They just can't keep you off the air, can they?
A: It's the Internet, though, so I don't know if that's really like being on the air.
Q: It is, because nobody listens to the real radio anymore.
A: I would put the radio on if there was something worth listening to. In L.A. a lot of people drive, so there's a lot of people listening in cars. When they're at home, I'm not so sure, to be honest. The one good thing I like about being on the Internet is you don't have to worry about swear words.
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21 March 2010

Review: Pavement, 'Quarantine the Past'

Review: Pavement, 'Quarantine the Past': Aidin Vaziri | A reunion and greatest hits package? From Pavement? Really? When the Stockton indie-rock heroes played their final show together at the London Brixton Academy in 1999, singer Stephen Malkmus, pictured, famously attached a pair of handcuffs to his microphone stand and declared, "These symbolize what it's like being in a band all these years." It was his most outward demonstration of effort while fronting the band. But if Van Halen, the Police and Pixies can put all that bad blood aside for the sake of sending their kids on whale-watching cruises, why not these guys? This double album chronicles Pavement's original 10-year run in the oblique fashion you would expect, pulling together nearly two-dozen tracks in seemingly random order. There are no true rarities but some less obvious cuts ranging from smart, melodically packed tunes like "Gold Soundz" and the audacious R.E.M. tribute "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" to lackadaisical rambles like "Grounded" and dire knockoffs of The Fall like "Mellow Jazz Docent." As the title suggests, the deadpan music remains firmly rooted in its era, serving as much a reminder of everything that made Pavement one of the '90s most feted and frustrating acts.