Page 26 - the NOISE July 2013

b Ugh
bb Eh
bbb Solid
bbbb Gold bbbbb Total Classic
some usable footage, the crew shut down the equipment and call it an early night while the Dead play on. Later, Shel Silverstein tells the group that this was the nearest the show ever came to having an actual party on the set.
Hef successfully avoided any surprises in his drink.
A week after the taping, the Grateful Dead record one of their performances at the Avalon Ballroom which is used for part of their epochal Live/Dead LP. The band do not play on network television again until their 1978 appearance on Saturday Night Live.
Playboy After Dark lasted two seasons and 52 episodes before being canceled in 1970. Two best-of DVDs were released in 2006. The show remains a fascinating artifact of its era, a strange attempted crossover where the viewer can almost see and hear the cultures clashing.
White dove; Coma Cinema
out, not just because it’s the only waltz—well, maybe that is the only reason, but it’s quite lovely. Ender, “Sister,” ties the whole thing to- gether, the production sounding not unlike John Lennon’s Spector sessions. Every track on here is worth mentioning.
Here’s to hoping these folks get a gig at White Dove Coffee, just for the symmetry, and the confusing job the promoter would have to do. I didn’t hear any curse words, and I don’t know what the band’s stance on a Christian god is, so it seems possible. Regardless, if this band comes close to sounding live as they do on this record, they are worth beholding.
Coma Cinema
Posthumous Release
Fork and Spoon Records
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Well, if this guy offs himself, at least he warned everybody. “Lee (Columbine High Harmony)” has a very Yo La Tengo vibe. “Satan Made a Mansion” is a great title, even if the song wasn’t as catchy as it is, especially with the line “F*ck me in the graveyard/Confessions always on my mind/Keep them for forever.”
“Burn a Church” is also great, with the off kilter ridiculousness. And actually, this is far more goofy synthy pop than however you’re think- ing this might sound, with such heavy vibes from the get go. Meanwhile, “Partners in Crime” sounds like some sort of Elliot Smith tribute/ cover/rip off.
It finally comes together. Grandaddy. Coma Cinema sounds like Jason Lytle. His voice, the aesthetics- it begins to make sense on “Virgin Veins,” a great simple song, if not so dang dark.
“Survivor’s Guilt” is even better, and even darker. Pop album as therapy doesn’t always work, at least for the listener, but the songwriter behind Coma Cinema knows how to juxtapose dark moods with simple melody in a way that brings to mind the Cure’s most effective hit singles.
Kids, don’t kill yourself. Will more people buy your records? Probably. But if that’s all you want out of life, then you know why people aren’t buying them in the first place. Suck it up. Get help. Tomorrow is a new day. Think about all the records you haven’t heard that might blow your mind yet. This world is beautiful. It really is.
Hugh Hefner never hosted another variety program. — Tony BallZ
ReVieW’d by FRank Chipotel unless otheRWise speCiFied
White Dove
The Hoss, The Candle
RSRCH & DVLP
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The record reviewer wants to create neat legible lines. Performers like Wye Oak, First Aid Kit, and Cat Power become obvious reference points. It’s the deep, lovely female vocals. The clean, quiet, glowing production weighs heav- ily. The listener has to say, okay, this is not a country album. However, the lap steel, acoustic guitar strut, and occasional horse clomp per- cussion sound light years more wonderful than your typical new country shlock. The album has an easy does it, laid-back vibe, but it’s emotion- ally heavy. It’s cohesive, while only bordering on monotonous. “I Saw You” starts with a per- fect church organ, and comes in with the afore- mentioned arrangements, very nice. “I’m the Air,” is as breezy as the title implies. Or is it? It’s also quite catchy. The fuzzy, subtle psych guitar on “Down to the Shore” adds volumes without overpowering. The gorgeous extended vocal breakdown in “The Famous Horseman” comes at the perfect moment. “No One Home,” stands
26 • JULY 2013 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us