Cold weather to me is a bit like Coldplay: It might help maintain the natural order of the world, but it isn’t always pleasant. Unfortunately, like our office’s copy of Viva La Vida, it feels like frosty days are here to stay for approximately the next four months.
Of course, this means its time to make the seasonal record swap. My copy of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot got its first fall play last weekend, a good indicator of the cold weather dip in my music thermometer, and left me feeling toasty, wrapped up in all the flannel fuzz of the record’s production.
And last night brought a few more logs to the local music fire. Billy Bragg put on one of the better rock shows I’ve seen recently at The Paramount Theater; his Telecaster filling the chilly acoustic nooks of the venue with warmth from "A New England" and the racy "Ingrid Bergman." A personal highlight, however, was a cover of "Ain’t No Sunshine" by opening act The Watson Twins, who used the song’s bridge (a smokey chant of "I know, I know…") as an intro that grew into a searing bonfire. The rest of the set was filled with country-soul takes on tunes from the duo’s recent Fire Songs. Warmer already.
The Watson Twins rang in the fall with piping hot harmonies and soulful country at The Paramount.
After Bragg’s set, I made it to Outback Lodge just as Jay Reatard went onstage and resurrected the raw power of The Stooges. My internal rhythm isn’t necessarily set to "Black Flag" during the colder months, but Jay and his band didn’t dip below "Damage," and it was a sight: Each song began with a title shouted by Jay, the same "Rat tat tat tat" countdown from the drummer, followed by two to three minutes of punk chaos and squirrelly guitar licks, then another title, and so on without the slightest break.
So, two musical heatwaves in one night! What music heats you up when the temperature drops? Leave some heat below.
Oh, and for those of you without mittens, here’s a way to thaw those paws:
Yes, posting this video was worth the "mittens" setup. It’s also the best thing to happen to Daft Punk since Kanye West.