who Mikal Cronin, with Shannon and the Clams and Impossible Vacation.
Clam digging
where Emerald Lounge
when Saturday, June 22, at 9 p.m. $10. MCII is a cleaner outing. Pianos tinkle gracefully. Acoustic 12-strings offer tender counterpoints to burly electric riffs. If his debut resembled The Beatles, then this offering drifts toward Wings, hooks and melody taking over as the primary focus, leaving the experimental goodies to provide tasty texture. While different, the results are every bit as thrilling as Cronin’s previous work. “The Weight” starts MCII with one of its best inclusions. “I’ve been starting over for a long time,” Cronin passionately quips, implying the strains of personal responsibility on a young mind. Fuzz crashes down in the chorus, emphasizing the angst as he offers his perfectly vague complaint: “I’m not ready for the weight again.” Is it the pit in the bottom of his stomach? The burden of expectation? Impossible to say, but for the listener it’s whatever makes sense. Cronin’s songs resound with this kind of universal applicability, the staple of essential pop. “What I’ve always liked about this project is it’s pretty wide open for me,” he offers. “Not like I can do whatever I want, but if I can get people behind me, supporting me, enjoying what I do, I could take them anywhere I want to go. I have ideas of non-standard record projects that I’m thinking about. But first and foremost I just want to continue to write the best songs that I can write. Beyond that, I don’t really know. I want to keep it interesting for myself personally.” It’s hard to say where Cronin’s interests will take him next. If the restless experiments of his first record are any indication, he could do almost anything. But so long as he pairs powerful and personal feelings with addictive melody, he’s going to stand out. X Jordan Lawrence is a contributing writer at The Independent.
Rentals • Retail • Float Trips • Shuttles
PARK & TUBE with AAR
- Take Out At The Bywater dreamland: Shannon and the Clams’ pared-down setup manages to hybridize entire decades into a single, frenetic beast. Photo by Kaliisa Conlon It could be the atomic-‘50s glitz, the makeup, suspenders and pencil-thin mustache that make Shannon and the Clams come across like a John Waters-picked power trio. Or maybe it’s the teased-out, big-haired blonde (Shannon Shaw) who wails into oblivion, hitting high notes in fits of fury and excitement. They crackle the speakers, only to be followed by deep bellows that shake the walls and still the room. Whatever it is, Shannon and the Clams’ pared-down, three-piece setup manages to hybridize entire decades into a single, frenetic beast. They’re an R&B-tinged, soul-swingin’ Oakland rock ’n’ roll band. Think retro garage-punk combined with deep roots in coastal California vintage surf-rock with a ton of reverb. Their newest album, Dreams in the Rat House, debuted May 21 on Seattle-based label Hardly Art Records. Lyrics dive through deranged dreams, rousing some sleeping beast as Shaw’s voice
filters through a static-y mic and falls in love, if only for the moment. Guitarist Cody Blanchard’s high-pitched melodies jump up and down behind Shaw’s voice in songs like “Rip Van Winkle” and “Ozma” before diving into frantic and increasingly louder power chords backed by Ian Amberson’s tidal drums. Shaw’s voice is echoed by a ‘50s-esque chorus in this doo-wop ditty, chanting “awwwwo-awww-o.” Mantras like “Bed Rock” have the band chanting over droning, punked-up drums. Then there’s the album’s capstone: a cover of Del Shannon’s hit “Runaway.” It’s sped up a step and far more haunting and contemplative than the “other” Shannon’s 1961 take. The Clams’ choral “waa-waa-waas,” return to finish the album off. The band’s cross-country tour to promote Dreams in the Rat House brings them to the Emerald Lounge on Saturday, June 22, where they’ll open for Mikal Cronin. — Kyle Sherard
Open 7 days a week 10pm - 6pm
Trips EVERYDAY at 11pm, 1pm, & 3pm
5pm Shuttle Available Fri - Sun
704 Riverside Drive ashevilleadventurerentals.com
“Down to Earth Wood-Fired Pizza looking For Romantic Type Hungry For Love.”
675 hour Massage Certification Program Accepting applications for October 2013 Enroll Now for Big Savings! Self-care • Yoga Centered Massage Ed. • Continuing Ed. & Student Clinics
“I feel enriched academically and prepared professionally, as well as challenged personally to travel my path more confidently, compassionately and peacefully.” — SARAH S.
$ 3 0 S T U D E NT MA SSAG ES, JULY C L INIC 1-3 & 5-6 828-252-7377 • www.AshevilleMassageSchool.org
modestonc.com Grove Arcade 828.225.4133 mountainx.com • JUNE 19 - JUNE 25, 2013 41