PMJ Reviews (So Far)

I must say, I'm enjoying Kutztown University's first-ever Pop Music Journalism class a lot. It concludes my busy Tuesday/Thursday schedule and it always ends on a high note. We're learning a lot about the trade and we've got one of the coolest and smartest professors around showing us the ropes. So far we've been reading a ton of articles, having great conversations, and have submitted two pieces: a song review and an album review. Jim and I are both doing pretty well in the course so far. Would you expect any less? All kidding aside, it struck me on my walk home today that it'd be fun to share our work on this blog. So check it out, here's my first piece: song review of Vampire Weekend's "Diplomat's Son".

Short 1: Vampire Weekend’s “Diplomat’s Son” (2010)
By Mike Pop

Vampire Weekend’s second studio album, Contra, has seen some surprises in its early public life: it prompted an MTV Unplugged session, sought critical acclaim from blogs and zines alike, and reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart on January 20th, a distinguished feat for a band on an indie label (XL). The album features an array of ten breezy, pop tunes, but for those who reminiscent of punk rock’s iconic history and youthful escapades, behold the penultimate track, “Diplomat’s Son”, a mere 6-minute ode to boarding school scandals and the late Clash front man Joe Strummer. The song does not acquire the stereotypical three chord guitar riffs and unifying, anti-oppression punk themes; however, it does do well to praise a man who saw the world from his own eyes in the 1970s and wrote stories that rallied a generation of disgruntled lads (later to be labeled punks).

The tune opens with an arrangement of springtime strings, “cha-cha’s”, and a steady, undemanding drum beat. It comes to an arrest when front man/guitarist Ezra Koenig begins with a sobering introduction, accompanied by striking keyboards: “It's not right / But it's now or never / And if I wait / Could I ever forgive myself?” About a minute into the piece, Ezra enacts his plan: “Cause I'm gonna cut it where I can / And then I'm gonna duck out behind them / If I ever had a chance it's now.” The song quickly bounces into a calm, cool, never-say die agenda and an apparent successful drug-fueled night with an associate. The song hits its climax when Ezra takes Joe’s place and recalls a distinctive teenage night for the punk figurehead: “That night I smoked a joint / my best friend we found ourselves in bed / when I woke up he was gone”. Joe Strummer was the son of an English diplomat and the Clash were riding the popularity wave in ’81, with their album Sandinista!.

In the end, are we positive we accompanied a hooligan on a heist? A gamble? A crime of passion? All scenarios seem to fit the lyrics as the song’s protagonist recalls that satisfying sense of accomplishment in the tracks final moments: “Looking out at the ice cold water all around me / I can't feel any traces of that other place / In the dark when the wind comes racing off the river / There's a car all black with diplomatic plates.” His high jinks either ended with a chilly escape or the shit indeed hit the fan. Either way, it’s accepting the diplomatic conclusion that whatever the outcome of the disreputable event, just or unlawful, the adventure was worth a story. The song captures a shining moment for not only Strummer’s legacy, but for Vampire Weekend’s ability to pay homage to influence and experience.

Short 2: R.E.M.’s Live At The Olympia (October 27, 2009)
By Mike Pop

“This is not a show, this is not a show,” declares front-man Michael Stipe through his megaphone to the mass audience at Dublin’s Oylmpia Theater on one of the night rehearsals between June 30 and July 5, 2007. The 2007 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee is correct; the series of performances is what R.E.M. calls a testing ground for new songs and revved up relics. Before the crowd can react to such a statement, the band ignites with what would be the lead track off their 2008, return-to-form record Accelerate: “Living Well Is The Best Revenge.” From the first riff on Peter Buck’s twanging Rickenbacker guitar, the band welcomes you to one energetic evening of jangling alternative rock.

The entire set was recorded and released as Live At The Olympia, R.E.M.’s second live album in two years and it contains a whopping 39 songs. For many years, the band was not keen to releasing live records, but after 30 years of touring the world and selling millions of albums, the band collectively decided to introduce listeners to the live R.E.M sound.

The show introduced the crowd to a company of new songs that would appear on the band’s most recent effort, Accelerate: “Man-Sized Wreath,” “Horse To Water,” “I’m Gonna DJ,” among others. The band also experimented with two songs that did not make the final cut on the album, but have been played during tours since: “Staring Down The Barrel Of The Middle Distance” and “On The Fly”.

The record shows this influential rock band acting as inventive and unrestricted as they were when they were signed to the independent label, I.R.S., in the early to mid-1980s. This is because the band communicates directly with members of the audience and plays deep tracks from records that were recorded over 25 years ago. Such artifacts include “Letter Never Sent (1984),” “Sitting Still (1983)”, and “Gardening At Night (1982)”. The band’s sound is amplified in live form and Stipe’s vocals come in as clear as they do in studio recordings. Along with bassist Mike Mills’ and touring drummer Bill Rieflin’s vibrant rhythm section and Peter Buck guitar-plucking chime, each one of the 39 tracks captures a divine group effort that has reached its zenith after decades of collaboration and ingenuity.

R.E.M. has put in enough years as megastars and has grown on their own terms in the demanding music industry to do as they please, even if that means resorting back to older styles of performing or releasing live records. Any admirer of R.E.M., young or old, will unearth tunes to enjoy and reminisce in with this exceptional recording.