1.13.2010

Quasi-Megastars


Photo from www.theequasi.com
Quasi-Megastars

Rejoice! Rejoice! However, only if you are either a) fans of Quasi, a product of a semi-side project started in the early 1990s by Sam Coomes (Elliot Smith, Heatmiser, Built to Spill) & Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney, Stephen Malmkus and the Jicks), or b) fans of Sleater-Kinney, particularly if you believe that she is one of the greatest rock drummers of her generation.


I happen to fall into choice b. Although I have been aware that she was in Quasi for that last eight years or so, I have not followed through in obtaining any of their music- even through illegal downloading. However, Quasi are coming out with a new album in February and are doing a brief promo tour, and luckily will be coming to The Record Bar, in KC, March 22nd, and I plan on attending. If you haven't had a chance, seeing Weiss live is a real treat, especially in such a small venue, and Quasi are a solid band that certainly harks back to that sidestream 90s sound.

Joanna Bolme, bassist for the Jicks, joined the band in the last couple of years, and they are now performing as a three piece. Here are some vids!

First clip is merely to show Janet's badass-ness. Yes, I am fixated.


Quasi, w/ Elliott Smith, cover "Paint It Black" (1999)



Here's an original, and better quality vid.

Quasi - Live at Disjecta - Sea Shanty on Vimeo.




Here's a link to their site, as well. Which at the moment is a little blah.


P.S.- I finally did listen to Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion on the plane ride to New Orleans, and my initial rating out of 10: 5.5

And I am being serious this time. I'm not sure what the big deal is, and I generally have an issue in being able to pay attention to a band that doesn't have a consistent drum beat (Sigur Ros being the one major exception) or melodies- nothing stuck in my head, so I just couldn't get into them, but they did some nice mixing and their last track, "Brother Sport", was cool, and that was a nice way to go out. My dad hated Hendrix when her first heard Axis, Bold as Love, so who knows?

On the plus side for myself, I began listening to The Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs. I'm about an 1/8th of the way through. Fantastic concept album(s).

I will continue to voice my hatred and contempt for AC, although I have no reason to do so, and really have no issue with them at all. I do it because it's fun to have a focal point for your anger, and maybe tick off the one fan who takes the joke personally. It's all opinion anyway, so why not be illogically bigoted towards one group above all others, with no real reason?

-Chris

2 comments:

Matt said...

I didn't realize Sam Coomes played with Built to Spill. That makes him even cooler...although not as cool as being in Heatmiser with Elliott Smith.

I'll check this show out with you, maybe it will make me feel better about never seeing Sleater-Kinney live (one of my biggest musical regrets, concert-wise).

Chris said...

Maybe I'll stop mentioning S-K in 75% of my posts.