Interesting article in the The Post Standard/Herald-Journal on Adam Lyons Schlesinger from the Fountains of Wayne [and Welcome Interstate Managers is another CD that you should own if you don't already!] It seems Adam's grandfather got him into the business fromm day one. He was "bringing a show by rockers Jefferson Airplane to the Landmark Theatre (Syracuse).on Dec. 6, 1967, five weeks after his grandson's birth. As was his fashion, he had printed posters advertising the concert, with one small change. Instead of "Murray Bernthal Presents," he had the printer replace that with "Adam Lyons Presents." - Genius. But not only that Adam got the see some cool bands too: "I used to work in the box office at the Landmark when I came up to visit as a kid," Schlesinger says. "I have clear memories of the rock concerts I saw there. Todd Rundgren and Utopia. The Little River Band. The Jerry Garcia Band".
Whilst the Decemberists have been around for a number of years, and a friend of mine is a big fan, I have to confess - a few tunes aside - they have never really made much of a splash with me. With their fifth album - 'The Hazards of Love' - a 17-track concept album that sort of tells a story about a fair maiden ravished by a shape-shifting demon (no, really) - however, I am suddenly find myself surprisingly won over. On some levels - like most concept albums - it is utter tosh, but with its repeating musical motifs and reprises, making you quickly think that actually there are only about five actual songs on the album - a clever trick. Like with all good concept albums this makes listening on shuffle not the ideal way to digest this album - especially as their are short 'interlude' pieces joining all the songs too. Added to all this the fact that the band seem to have a love for early 70's British folk/prog/heavy metal and this walks right up my street - and will ...
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