Now that I'm completely addicted to Glaswegian band Glasvegas' self-titled debut LP, I've been trying to come up with the perfect comparison for its blustery, melodic wall-of-sound Brit-pop.
My initial attempt was to compare it to The Ramones' fifth LP, "End of the Century," produced by Phil Spector, and released 1980. Later, the football references and retro rock and roll flourishes led me to Shed Seven meets The Shirelles.
All that irrelevance aside, Glasvegas is touring the U.S. opening for Kings of Leon and plays at the Bradley Center on Saturday, Sept. 26. Earlier in the summer the band played a headlining US tour that ended at Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Glasvegas has been nominated for Britain's coveted Mercury Prize and Spin called the record one of the best of 2009 so far.
Among the biggest fans are Bono, who called my favorite track on the record -- "It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry" -- "one of the best songs I've ever heard."
Blink 182's Mark Hoppus has tweeted his love for the band and Kings of Leon personally invited them to join the US tour and a UK one, too.
Lady Ga Ga told a UK newspaper that Glasvegas is, "one of the best bands on the planet. Maybe we can do something together in the future."
Although my co-workers likely want to kill me by now for playing the record over and over, I won't be able to get to the show here, which is the final date of the tour.
So, dear reader, I urge you to go in my place and report back using the Talkback feature below.
Some other gigs on tap this week include:
Former Television guitarist Richard Lloyd comes to town touting his new disc, "The Jamie Neverts Story" (Parasol Records), which finds the quietly influential guitar-slinger (I say quietly because I'm sure there are loads of musicians who don't know the name, but know the sound) covering 10 Jimi Hendrix tunes, from "Spanish Castle Magic" and "Purple Haze" to "Axis-Bold as Love" and "Are You Experienced."
Lloyd plays with his band Sufi-Monkey at Shank Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Testa Rosa opens the 8 p.m. show. Cover is $15.
On the same night roots rocker Lucinda Williams returns to The Pabst Theater to perform. The date is among those in honor of the 30th anniversary of her recording debut. She'll most certainly play some tunes from her October 2008 Lost Highway disc, "Little Honey." Showtime is 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $32.50. Buick 6 opens.
The Perez Hilton Presents tour stops ver at Turner Hall Ballroom on Tuesday, too, bringing Ida Maria, Ladyhawke, Semi Precious Weapons and Slimy. Tickets are $20 and there are no service fees.
At press time, Ryan Matteson of Turner Hall Ballroom could neither confirm nor deny whether or not Hilton himself will appear at the show. Stay tuned.
Say goodbye to veteran band Saffire The Uppity Blues Women who take their Milwaukee curtain call on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. at Shank Hall. The blues ladies celebrate the release of their last CD, "Havin' the Last Word," on Chicago's Alligator Records, with the performance here. Tickets are $25. Unless they turn out to be like the Bad Brains and host annual farewell shows, this will be your last chance, fans.
Twin Cities quartet The Chambermaids recently followed up its 2006 Modern Radio debut disc with a long-awaited seven-song 12" EP that has earned the band comparisons to Wire, My Bloody Valentine, The Pixies and The Jesus and Mary Chain. So, how can you resist checking out the band -- fronted by siblings Martha and Neil Weir -- when they play at Sugar Maple on Thursday.
Jay Farrar and Son Volt return to Milwaukee on Saturday, Sept. 26 to introduce their latest disc, "American Central Dust," issued in on Rounder Records. See the Volt at The Pabst with Sera Cahoone at 8 p.m. Tickets are 20 bucks.
Over at Turner that night, there's the Thursday, Fall of Troy, Young Widows and La Dispute at 7:30. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 on the day of the show.
Last, but most certainly not least, Milwaukee area native Mark Mallman returns to the Cactus Club on Saturday night who is back on the road in support of "Invincible Criminal," released this summer.
Over at the Miramar on Sunday there's a rhyming reggae bill with with Groundation and Natty Nation. Showtime is 9 p.m. and admission is $12.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
