Supergrass released their fourth LP, Life on Other Planets, in 2002 to more acclaim.  Gaz Coombes’ older brother had played keyboard on all three of their previous records, but it wasn’t until this album that Rob Coombes was credited as a member of the band.   The record was produced by Tony Hoffer, who had previously helmed Beck’s Midnite Vultures and Air’s 10 000 Hz Legend.  Drummer Danny Goffey claimed the reason for bringing in an outside producer was to keep the songs “short and sweet” as the band felt that their previous LP lacked some urgency.  The result kept on with previous releases in that there are some outstanding singles, such as “Grace” and “Rush Hour Soul,” as well as a few missteps.  If anything, the record cemented Supergrass as one of the finest singles bands of the last 20 years.  This is evidenced by their spectacular 2004 greatest hits package, Supergrass is 10. If there was an iTunes singles chart from 1995-2002, Supergrass should have been a mainstay in the Top 10.

In the years following, the Coombes’ mother passed away and Goffey’s life became publicly scrutinized due to his tumultuous relationship with longtime partner Pearl Lowe.  These events were reflected on their fifth LP, 2005′s Road to Rouen, which was recorded in Rouen, Normandy in northern France. The record marked a significant shift in the band’s sound, from energetic guitar-pop to a denser, more orchestral interpretation.  Don’t be fooled though, the gorgeous melodies and hooks are still there, especially on album closer “Fin”; one just needs to dig a little deeper to find them.

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Day 5

Focused on the aftermath of a breakup, 2002′s Sea Change featured Beck at his most heartfelt and musically spare. The album was a significant departure from Midnite Vultures and more in line with Mutations, sans some of the electronic artifacts scattered throughout that oft-forgotten album. Sea Change is for the most part acoustic and largely features combinations of Beck’s voice (Beck’s voice with cotton in his cheeks maybe), guitar, string arrangements, and lurching bass and drum combos like those found on “Paper Tiger.” For many the album was a welcome escape from the schizo-electronic dabbling on past records. For the first time Beck managed to sustain a coherent idea (however morose) over the course of an entire album.

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For Friday: Geuro, The Information, Record Club

Day 5

Released against Beck’s wishes, Mutations, produced by Nigel Godrich, was only intended as a stopgap and was recorded rather quickly–one song a day over two weeks–though it doesn’t show, the album sounds great. Largely eschewing electronic noise and lyric acrobatics, the album displays the breadth of Beck’s folk and blues and even country influences. For those wanting Odelay II the album might have been dissappointing but the coherence and maturity on display throughout the album–instead of on a song or two–was a good sign for Beck’s chances for longevity. The B-side “Runners Dial Zero,” for example, showcases something akin to the sound later heard on Sea Change.

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Eagerly anticipated and generally well-received, Midnite Vultures found Beck in the same territory as Odelay: sonic exploration, nonsensical lyrics, and frenetic energy, though taken as a whole the album is perfunctory, more of the same. Q initially gave the LP four stars then dubbed it one of the 50 Worst Ever in 2006. That sort of uneven sentiment is pretty indicative of the overall reception of the album. A positive to take from the album was Beck’s return to form as a high-energy stage performer during the tour supporting Midnite Vultures.

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Day 4

“Loser” was the driving force behind the success of Mellow Gold and for good reason. The album is rather uneven and a little too reliant on sampling and bizzare lyrics that might be fun, but don’t mean much. For example: “Found myself in New Orleans, with a scarecrow in my jeans…”–what? Also, a track like “Mutherfucker,”–which surely has ardent proponents out there–is a noisy metal freakout and is almost unlistenable. On the other hand, tracks like “Beercan” and “Blackhole” hold up well and are clear indications of Beck’s capability any time he tries out simpler songs.

After the release of Mellow Gold and indie release One Foot in The Grave, Beck, in 1996, released multi-platinum monster Odelay. If you were alive at the time then you heard “Devil’s Haircut” or “Where It’s At” or “The New Pollution,” all of which were radio hits and licensing faves. While you could play spot the influence with the songs, much of the appeal was in the sound and vibe of the album, both of which were drastically different from the still lingering grunge dinosaurs and their legion of imitators still clogging rock radio at the time. Odelay was listenable and enjoyable without being cloying or obvious. That said, the singles from the album inevitably bring back bad memories of MTV VJs and VH1 Countdowns before both network’s reality-fueled immolation. Looking back the true standout and enduring track is “Lord Only Knows.”

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Tomorrow we’ll look at Midnite Vultures and Mutations.

Day 3

Well before Napster, MP3s, iTunes, and iPods, Beck’s “Loser” was a bona-fide word of mouth radio hit. Nobody quite knew what the hell he was talking about but it didn’t matter, they couldn’t get enough and the song remained on radio for some time, ascending to #10 on the Billboard chart. Since the smash success of “Loser,” Beck has continually released albums that are commercial and critical successes, either by refining his oddball thrift-store rock milieu or attempting drastic shifts as with the critical darling, Sea Change. In addition to a vital and viable solo recording career, Beck has produced career high-points for others (Charlotte Gainsbourg), curated eclectic side projects (Record Club), and been a pop culture curio (6 SNL apperances, a Futurama cameo, Conan O’Brien’s farewell band, Scientology, et al), through it all Beck remains an indelible and essential musical force.
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Check back with us this week as we take a close look at Beck’s career.

Day 2

To revisit the bands that played at SXSW during the first 10 years of its existence is to take a snapshot of the independent music scene over the same period.  The earliest editions of the festival leaned more towards alt-county, but by the mid-90′s, hugely popular performers from genres such as grunge, electronic, and hip-hop were making the trip to Austin to join in on the fun with the unsigned bands.  The notable buzz bands from the ’88 and ’89 fests were the county-rock outfit The Jayhawks, folk icon Lucinda Williams, and the up and coming, unsigned pop-rockers, Gin Blossoms.  In 1991, the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies recorded a demo to bring with them to Austin for SXSW, and Yellow Tape became the first independent release to achieve platinum status in the Great White North.  That same year, multi-platinum superstars The Dixie Chicks played an early show as a bluegrass picking foursome.

Over the next two years, popular indie and grunge bands such as Helmet, L7, and a pre-Dookie Green Day filled Austin bars to capacity, but it wasn’t until 1994 that the festival really became the essential stop for rising bands.   The 1994 SXSW keynote address was famously given by Johnny Cash, before he performed a stripped-down set of songs, including tracks off his upcoming American Recordings.

Also playing showcases at the 1994 fest were Veruca Salt and Beck, who released his classic Mellow Gold later that month.  The ’95 lineup represented the increased diversification of the festival; where else could you see a pre-AM Wilco before stumbling over to catch Bush before they became the biggest band on the planet?  The ’96 edition went a step further when The Fugees celebrated the release of their album The Score with a set at SXSW.  Wednesday and Thursday we will take a look at the breakout bands and sets from 1997-2009.

Day 3

“You’re fucking joking.”  This was my response to a friend’s claim that The Black Keys’ debut album The Big Come Up was the work of a twosome of twenty-somethings from Ohio.  Released in May 2002, the album sounded like the work of a grizzled blues-rock vet, rather than that of a couple of wide-eyed mid-western boys.  For a kid who didn’t really know the difference between Bo Diddley and Johnnie Lang, this album was an exhilarating introduction to the muddy world of blues rock.  The Big Come Up‘s eight original songs proved that Dan Auerbach & Patrick Carney could go pound for pound with legends such as Waters, Burnside, and Kimbrough.  The LP included cover versions of songs from these blues men, it also included a take on The Beatles’ “She Said, She Said.”

2003′s Thickfreakness found Dan & Patrick further expanding their rhythm n’ reverb sound, while also giving them a signature song in “Set You Free.”  The tone of the record was definitely blues-based but offered a glimpse of the straight-away rock sound that would be more prevalent in subsequent albums.  Once again recorded in Carney’s basement, this was their first album on Fat Possum Records, the blues label based in Mississippi.  Thickfreakness earned critical acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, opening the duo up to bigger audiences across the globe, and giving them the opportunity to headline small venues and open for established artists such as Beck and Sleater-Kinney.  Here is a clip of them making their network debut on Conan, performing the opener and title track.