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Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Even though I'm an unabashed fan of the shoegaze, I think I'm still allowed to believe that particular moniker for early-90s, mostly British, pedal-heavy, layered-guitar music is a bit silly. For me it's merely a quick way to group together a ton of bands I loved and love; just some shorthand for us fans (or misguided detractors). Of all the bands that get lumped into that press-created category, I've always thought that Swervedriver was the one that fit least comfortably -- they've always struck me as more rock, less gentle, a little more alpha-male than their so-called downward-gazing peers. I mean, just listen to the progression-ending guitar hook in "Rave Down" and tell me that's not heavy as hell. In a live setting, even more so. So maybe it's their more-muscular guitar lines that accounted for the huge backwards-ball-cap wearing contingent at the Boston stop of their reunion tour in June... I can't explain it otherwise. I mean, you're likely not gonna spot high-fiving and chest-bumping at a Ride reunion show (yes, I saw actual pectoral contact). You'll probably hear their hyena howling in the recording below. Where were all those guys for the criminally under-attended Adam Franklin / Toshack Highway solo shows over the past decade or so? And will they show up for Magnetic Morning at Great Scott in October? So, yeah, the Swervies reunited. And they toured. And it was great. Nearly as great (though not quite as ear-crushing) as the first go 'round, and much like those olden days, the Oxford quartet was all business: minimal audience acknowledgment, minimal smiling, maximum pedals. The only interaction I cared about was between Adam's Jazzmaster, its whammy bar, and his wah pedal. Hopefully this recording captures a sliver of the sonic power on display. Oh, and you'll notice that the intro to "Never Lose That Feeling" fades in... leave it to my gear to freak out just as they launch into my favorite song of the set. But it recovered quickly. Whew.  Swervedriver Live at the Paradise in Boston, MA on Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 01. Sci-Flyer 02. The Birds 03. Duel 04. Planes Over The Skyline 05. Wrong Treats 06. Sandblasted 07. Behind The Scenes Of The Sounds And The Times 08. Scrawl & Scream 09. These Times 10. The Other Jesus 11. Rave Down 12. Never Lose That Feeling 13. Son Of Mustang Ford 14. Last Train To Satansville 15. Duress   Some Swervedriver linkage...
 the fine print... If anyone has an issue with these Mp3s being made available, just let me know (my contact info in the 'nac faq). Live sets recorded with a Sony ECM-719 mic and a Sony MZ-RH10 minidisc, converted to .wav and then edited to 192kbps Mp3s. Files are made available for a limited time, and are not reposted once removed. Labels: livemp3s  |
 neil halstead live in cambridge, ma on november 14th, 2008 previously: joy formidable - boston 2011 recent posts on the 'nac...
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