Last night I went to see Brendan Benson at the Little Civic in Wolverhampton. Benson's new album Lapalco apparently took five years, four tracks, three cities, two musicians and a career-changing major label stint to make, but it took just a few seconds for the Detroit singer/songwriter to get his bearings wrong. 'What else is there to do on a wet Sunday night in Marlsborough?' Whaat? 'Oh, Middlesborough, right?' Wrong, Brendan. 'Er, wait a minute, it's gig number two. Wolverhampton?' Well, better late than never mate.
Benson cuts a figure like Justin Timberlake on smack. At least, with his painfully thin frame and ugly protuding veins I sure as hell hope he's on serious drugs otherwise I'm genuinely concerned about his health. He may not know too much about UK geography but he certainly showed he has a dab hand at crafting jangling pop-rock tunes with an energetic run-through of tracks from his new record. In an ideal world, I would have liked to have heard Lapalco (out here in the UK next Monday) before seeing him live, but even though I was unfamiliar with most of his songs I was impressed with the range of his hook-laden repertoire. His work may well evoke more comparisons with the likes of Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield than MC5 or The Stooges but this autumn that makes a refreshing change.
Support was provided by Northampton four-piece Medium 21. Their official site appears to be down at the moment but there's an mp3 and some additional streaming audio of the band available here. On first listen, their busy, mood-shifting tunes suggest they're in more than nodding acquaintance with the work of Pavement, specificically the 'Wowee Zowee' vintage. But if I'm honest, that's alright with me. They may not be the coolest looking new band on the block but they've got the songs, a lead vocalist with presence and even their drummer has a sweet singing voice. I'd definitely go see them again, and look forward to the release of their new single November 4th. Their roots may be grounded in Pavement, but if there's any justice their future may yet prove to be in the stars.
Benson cuts a figure like Justin Timberlake on smack. At least, with his painfully thin frame and ugly protuding veins I sure as hell hope he's on serious drugs otherwise I'm genuinely concerned about his health. He may not know too much about UK geography but he certainly showed he has a dab hand at crafting jangling pop-rock tunes with an energetic run-through of tracks from his new record. In an ideal world, I would have liked to have heard Lapalco (out here in the UK next Monday) before seeing him live, but even though I was unfamiliar with most of his songs I was impressed with the range of his hook-laden repertoire. His work may well evoke more comparisons with the likes of Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield than MC5 or The Stooges but this autumn that makes a refreshing change.
Support was provided by Northampton four-piece Medium 21. Their official site appears to be down at the moment but there's an mp3 and some additional streaming audio of the band available here. On first listen, their busy, mood-shifting tunes suggest they're in more than nodding acquaintance with the work of Pavement, specificically the 'Wowee Zowee' vintage. But if I'm honest, that's alright with me. They may not be the coolest looking new band on the block but they've got the songs, a lead vocalist with presence and even their drummer has a sweet singing voice. I'd definitely go see them again, and look forward to the release of their new single November 4th. Their roots may be grounded in Pavement, but if there's any justice their future may yet prove to be in the stars.
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